


Deviation of Fate

by CrossedQuills, goldslactuar



Series: Deviation [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Canon, Alternate Episode Ignis timeline, Anal Sex, Attempted Suicide, Awkwardness, Double Penetration, Drug Use, Episode Ignis Spoilers, F/M, Frottage, Gaslighting, Happy ending despite the pain, I promise, Ignis with facial hair, M/M, Multi, OT3, OT4, Oral Sex, Spanking, Spit Roasting, Spoilers, Vaginal Sex, World of Ruin, blood at times, breath play, dealing with death, episode prompto didnt happen, gets more as you go, implied Regis/Clarus, implied prostitution, lots of tears too, mfm, mmm, rated for later chapters, starts off with no pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-02-20 02:17:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 70,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrossedQuills/pseuds/CrossedQuills, https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldslactuar/pseuds/goldslactuar
Summary: (Episode Ignis Alternate Timeline) SPOILERSAfter the temporary defeat of Ardyn at Zegnautus Keep our three remaining heroes tuck Noctis and the crystal away and try their best to maintain order and keep themselves busy until he returns. But ten years is a long time... and unexpected things are bound to happen.





	1. Catharsis

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 1

 

Three figures walked down the main thoroughfare of the once bustling city of Insomnia. Where there was once a theatre, a florist, bank, school, department store, funeral home, park, and café was now only a pile of rubble and glass. A Niflheim air carrier splayed out atop it like a sleeping cat, paying the figures no mind as they passed silently.

The months of various weather had washed away the layer of dust and blood that once coated the streets, but it did not take away the smell. Death was the only resident of Insomnia now except for the daemons that prowled in the darkest hours of the night. The enormous walls that once protected the city still functioned as a physical barrier to the larger daemons for now, but they knew it wouldn’t last long. The crystal was no longer within its borders, offering protection to its citizens.

No.

Currently it functioned only as an incubator and a prison for their Chosen King. Appropriately moved to Anglegard for safety while Noctis slept and gathered strength. Despite its absence, some believed that it left a lingering touch in the air around the Citadel, its home for hundreds of years, like fallout from a nuclear blast. It kept the worst of the daemons out, but for how much longer no one could say.

Which was why the three members of the Chosen King’s Crownsguard currently stood at the base of the steps to the Citadel in the lingering sunlight of early morning. If the reports they’d read in Altissia were true, their late king was still in there among the dead along with his shield. While there were thousands if not millions of bodies within the walls of the city that needed a proper burial, at the moment there were only two that they were here for.

It was the least they could do.

Prompto looked over at Ignis and Gladio, who had remained silent since they entered the city. Ever since Altissia, Ignis had changed in a way Prompto couldn’t exactly put a finger on, but the best word he could think of would be ‘haunted’. Like a historic mansion that you know hid something dark and ethereal beneath the surface.

Gladio had gone more stoic than usual once they’d begun talking about coming back. Prompto never vocalized it, but he suspected it had everything to do with the Lord Shield. Gladio never did grieve for the loss of his father, king, and Insomnia. None of them had. There hadn’t been time since that morning in Galdin Quay. He’d seen a chink in Gladio’s armor when they’d discovered Ignis’ ashen body near the crystal at Zegnautus Keep. Gladio’s voice had cracked in despair when he thought Ignis was moments from death thanks to the ring, but the mask went right back up after Noctis used the crystals magic to heal Ignis and it hadn’t come down since.

Prompto suspected he’d changed too since The Keep. He’d seen some things…learned things… that he’d suspected were true for a long time, but they’d been rushing to find Ignis with Ravus leading them and he hadn’t the time to look over every test tube and lab file they found. The whole place made his skin crawl, but there were pieces of the puzzle he needed to find.

Now, however, there were other tasks at hand.

“Where to first?” he asked once they entered the expansive foyer. Shockingly it seemed largely undamaged.

“According to what Luna told First Secretary Claustra, they fled from the Great Hall, down a hidden elevator through the crypts. If we follow that path we’ll likely find…” he paused and cleared his throat. “Let’s go.”

Logically, it made sense to go to the crypts first, since that’s where they intended to bury the king and shield anyway. The ancient marble stairs through the back of the shrine to the Six was still blessedly intact, though the halls were pitch black. Turning on the lights on their chests they descended into further darkness.

“You think there might be daemons down here?” Prompto asked.

“It’s possible,” said Ignis. “Be vigilant.”

The main oculus of the room was covered in rubble. The elevator to one side had been crushed down by an enormous force and several of the pillars were badly damaged from blasts’ and impacts.

At the rooms center, was the body of Regis Lucis Caelum. Ignis and Gladio reflexively put their hands over their chest and bowed, Prompto followed suit an instant later.

“There should be vacant crypts along the south passage.” Ignis gestured to one side of the circular room. “They won’t be adorned as they should be, but it will have to do for the time being. Gladio, could you-”

The shield was already tearing down one of the tapestries from the far wall. It was made of black velvet and had the royal crest embroidered with silver threads and would make do for the shroud of the king for now.

Gently they moved Regis’s body atop the fabric and positioned him as best they could in a dignified pose before cocooning him in the dark tapestry. He weighed very little as they carried him to the tomb they’d designated as his, right next to his father and wife, the late King Mors and Queen Auela.

Half their task completed they made their way up the long spiraling staircase of the south wing to the Great Hall where the failed treaty signing took place an eternity ago. The massive doors lay in shambles, blasted open from the outside. Bodies of a half dozen Crownsguardsmen were strewn about the floor in a wide arc. Most of which looked like their chests were cleaved open by an enormous blade. The three of them knew that one day, this could be their fate as well as members of the Crownsguard.

 _There but for the grace of the Six go we._  

They searched among the bodies, but couldn’t find Clarus. It wasn’t until the sun shone off something metallic did Prompto look up at the source and gasp. The other two followed his gaze upward to the balcony where the Lord Shield hung dead, impaled on his own sword through his back.

Prompto and Ignis turned toward Gladio, unsure what to say. What _could_ you say? The young shield, expressionless as the corpses around him, only made his way up the narrow stairs along the wall up to the balcony with the other two in tow. Together they held Clarus’ body steady while Gladio used a smashed section of pillar to bang the sword out of the railing. Once it was freed it clattered to the floor of the Great Hall, echoing from every wall as they pulled Clarus’ body up and over the ledge. Lying him down on the black tablecloth they retrieved from the main podium, they swaddled him up as they did with the king. Gladio picked his father up in his arms, and began walking toward the stairwell.

He only paused a moment and said over his shoulder, “Grab his sword.”

Ignis got it, holding it with reverence as they descended back to the crypts.

Strictly speaking the Lord Shield wasn’t supposed to be entombed alongside their king -There was another section of the crypts for their honor- But when Gladio made his way into the crypt of the kings, placed Clarus in the tomb next to Regis along with his sword and pushed the lid closed himself, neither of the other two dared utter a word.

They lined the lids of the tombs with the black and silver candles that they found in a box near the stairs and lit them, each taking a long moment for their fallen King, Lord Shield, and all the other citizens of Insomnia who lay dead amongst the rubble.

When they finally left the crypts, closing the heavy door behind them Ignis’ phone began to chirp in earnest. He checked it briefly before returning it to his pocket. “We have an hour of daylight left. We should find shelter soon.”

“You think any of the apartments upstairs are damaged?” Prompto asked.

Ignis shook his head. “I can’t be sure, but most of the doors were outfitted with electronic locks a few years ago. Even if they have backup batteries, it’s been months since the grid went down. Besides, I lost my keycard some time ago.”

“Same here,” Gladio offered, his voice tight.

There was a pause before Prompto said, “Well… It’s not fancy, but my parents’ house is about twenty minutes from here and I’ve got a key hidden under a brick in the garden.” A sad thought occurred to him. “If it’s not demolished, that is.”

“That should do. Thank you, Prompto,” said Ignis. “Let’s make haste. We can come back tomorrow and attend to the rest of the Crownsguard upstairs before heading back to Lestallum. They deserve that much.”

Roughly a half hour later they managed to make it to Prompto’s house. They had to take a few detours due to blocked roads. With all the damage they passed en route they were surprised to find Prompto’s home largely undamaged.

Finding the hidden key, Prompto opened the door and let them in. “I’m home,” he called out by habit, knowing nobody would answer. His parents were never home before Insomnia was in shambles, so why would they be home now?

Kicking off his shoes he made his way into the kitchen and opened up the pantry, producing a case of bottled water and dropping it on the counter before going back to see what else was left. “Are you guys hungry? It’s not Iggy’s cooking, but we’ve got plenty of canned foods, granola, rice, beans, and… _Helloooo_.” He reemerged with a fancy looking amber bottle in his hand. “Some eighteen-year-old Leide whisky. She’s finally legal, gentlemen.” He said kissing the bottle and wiggling his eyebrows.  

While Ignis’ lips did turn up ever so slightly at Prompto’s attempt to break the tension, Gladio just nodded and mumbled that he would have some.

Deflating somewhat at his joke falling on deaf ears, he produced three glasses and poured an inch into each of them, sliding them over to his counterparts on the other end of the breakfast bar. Prompto held his glass up, but faltered. He was never good at toasts.

“To Noctis,” Ignis said quietly before his phone chimed again, indicating that the sun had set. “To our late King, and to his Lord Shield. May we walk tall for all of them.”

They clinked their glasses together and sipped, but Gladio tipped his head back and downed the contents of the glass before picking up the bottle and filling the small glass nearly to the brim. He took his glass and silently retired back to the living room, where he sat down and stared at nothing.

The gunslinger and adviser looked at one another concerned for a moment before Prompto tilted his head toward the shield. “You keep an eye on the big guy. I’ll heat up some canned food. I can’t mess that up.”

Ignis just nodded and followed Gladio into the other room, leaving Prompto to fight with the gas stove and get enough canned daggerquil curry chowder heated up for the three of them. He put on some bagged rice too before returning to the pantry to browse the contents. He’d moved out two years ago, but his parents always kept a very respectable larder.

Taking a mental inventory of what he could take with them he put aside a jar of coconut oil, a few bags of lentils, rice, and… “Oh, hey Gladio. I found a few Cup Noodles. Anak flavored. I don’t see an expiration date, but I don’t think these things ever go bad. You want me to pack some up for the road?”

There was a long, awkward pause, to the point where Prompto was vaguely deciding why he was even trying when Gladio actually spoke. “Yeah, pack them up. It can’t hurt.” Prompto put them aside as well before double checking the food on the stove and reducing the heat.

He found one of his mothers many scented candles in the nearby bathroom and lit it before picking up his liquor and joining the others in the living room.

Surprisingly, Gladio kept talking. “Dad would always take me camping when I was a kid, just before Iris was born. Mom would come too sometimes. He would only pack Cup Noodles for food and would tell me,” his voice shifted deeper and more serious. _“’If you want to eat anything other than this freeze-dried garbage you’d better learn what’s edible out here.’_ And then he would send me off to the river or field near the haven to find what we were going to have for dinner.” A sad smile tugged at his lips as he finished his glass.

Prompto’s eyes went a little wide. Gladio was a big guy, but that was a lot of alcohol and they hadn’t eaten since morning.

Gladio continued, “I gotta be honest. I absolutely hated that shit. It was so bad. And if I came back empty handed he would make me eat it without water in it.” Even Ignis made a disgusted face at that. “But I’ll never forget… I’ll never forget the first time I came back with some wild peppers, garlic, and a fat trout I’d caught. I’d slipped and fallen into the river and tore my shin open. I was filthy and bloody and I’d lost my fishing rod, but I’d never seen him happier.”

Even in the dim light they could see the tears start to stream freely down Gladio’s cheeks and his shoulders trembling with the inevitable catharsis to come. It started slowly, then gathered momentum like an avalanche, wiping out all the barriers Gladio had built up over years in it’s wake.

Ignis and Prompto remained silent, letting the sobs and the slight hiss of the food cooking on the stove be the only noise in the room for quite some time. Eventually Prompto got up, turned off the heat, and returned with a bottle of water, a box of tissues, and what was left of the whisky.

They sat there and ate quietly while they let last living Lord Shield vent until there was nothing left inside him or the bottle of liquor.

What felt like hours later, Prompto threw an afghan over Gladio’s sleeping form as he sprawled across the couch, snoring, and slowly pried the empty glass of whisky out of his fingers. “He needed that.”

“More than air,” added Ignis with a mild slur. Prompto had only had the equivalent of a few shots, and Gladio had put most of the alcohol away, but Ignis had imbibed more than Prompto would have expected of the advisor.  Perhaps they all needed to let loose a bit. While they still could.

Flopping down on the loveseat next to Ignis felt a bit close quarters once he was sitting, but Ignis didn’t say anything about it, so Prompto didn’t care either. They’d been closer before in the tent many a night.

Prompto sighed, what remained of the liquor in his system was burning off quicker than it could get him truly drunk, as it usually did. For whatever reason his metabolism couldn’t keep him from being fat as a kid, but it just loved putting his liver into overdrive once alcohol touched his lips.

Idly running his fingers over the leather straps hiding the barcode on his wrist he wondered if the two were connected. What he saw briefly in the Keep indicated as much. “Hey, Iggy?” he asked before he could stop himself.

Ignis lifted his head up from the back of the couch, as if he’d been dozing. “Yes?”

“Did you… While you were in the Keep… Did you see anything strange?”

Ignis paused, swallowing before he responded. “I saw a great many strange things that day. Could you be more specific.”

“In the lab… Did you happen to see anything that looked like me?”

“Ah…that.” He leaned forward. “Prompto…I saw some things, but I’m not entirely sure I saw them. If that makes any sense at all.”

“It doesn’t, but go on.”

“Because of the things I saw… I feel that you were intended to be the one taken to the Keep, not me. Noctis pushed you off a train. He thought you were Ardyn, but you weren’t. I don’t know what happened to you there, but you learned a lot about yourself despite the pain and anguish.”

Prompto’s brow furrowed. None of this was making sense. How much had Ignis had to drink?

 “I know I’m rambling a bit, but I only have it in pieces. Something happened at the alter in Accordo and… I still feel like I’m about to wake up from a dream. It was all so real.”

“Oooookay Iggy,” Prompto slid the remainder of Ignis’ drink away from him with one finger. He wasn’t going to get any answers tonight. “I’m going to get you some water.”

Before he walked away, Ignis reached out and got a grip of his wrist. “Prompto. I know I’m not making sense, but just so you know that this _thing_ -” he ran his thumb under his leather wrist strap, directly over the barcode, and Prompto felt like someone had dunked him in an icy river. “-does not dictate who you are… _What_ you are. Nothing will ever change that.”

Pulling his hand away, Prompto stared at Ignis as if he’d spoken a different language. What he was saying wasn’t making a lick of sense… And yet…

“Apologies,” Ignis said, leaning back on the couch. “It does seem that I’ve had too much to drink. I’ll still take that water if you’re getting it.”

Prompto swallowed. “Kay. Be back in a jiffy.” He got Ignis some water and excused himself before going upstairs to his old bedroom. Pulling his phone out he dialed a number he never thought he’d need and waited as it rang.

A familiar bug groggy voice answered.

_“Blondie… What on Eos are you calling me this late for?”_

“Aranea, hey. Listen, you said you were from Gralea, right?”

_“Unfortunately. Why?”_

“I have a big favor to ask…”

 

~X~X~X

Oh boy, this is gonna be a big fic. Strap in.

You’ll notice several months will pass between most chapters. I’ll be starting off each by stating how much time has passed since Noctis went into the crystal. I plan on this fic spanning the length of the ten years of A World of Ruin. In the original timeline, Talcott says that these three boys drifted apart and didn’t spend much time together, but in the Alternate ending from Episode Ignis, all three of them greeted Noctis when he returned already in full uniform, and when they went to the Citadel they did so together. This fic will explain why.

It’s going to be full of feels, hurt, comfort, sex, violence, death, bad coping mechanisms, questionable life choices, and more. Not all chapters will be rated Explicit, but I’ll try and warn you when they are.

Like when I wrote Shed Some Light On Things a year ago, I would love to hear your input as to what you want to happen during this time period. I already have an outline typed up, but it’s flexible. So let me know what you want.

 


	2. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1.5 years after Noctis entered the Crystal and the world is fully plunged into darkness, Gladio grabs a quick meal and bumps into someone from the past.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 2

~1.5 Years~

 

The battered old truck slowed to a halt outside the Lestallum security gate (a makeshift pully system with several junk cars in place as a portcullis) an instant before Gladio slid out and took up a fighting stance. Sword already in hand he scanned the edge of the liminal space between artificial light and darkness along the cobbled streets. They’d managed to dodge a red giant on the way back from Meldacio Hunter HQ, but once they got to the narrow winding road approaching the city there was little room for maneuvering once something saw them.

Even now, while the others unloaded the payload of supplies, Gladio could hear the cackling whoops and laughter of the mutated havocfangs that considered the outskirts of the city their territory. The mutant animals were almost worse than the daemons. They weren’t quite as strong, but they hadn’t the aversion to UV lights the way the daemons did.

“We got everything,” called one of the other hunters behind him. “Get in here, Amicitia.”

Backing into the alleyway with his sight still fixed on the edge of the darkness, he saw the shine of several pairs of eyes move just before the security door banged shut.

Banishing his sword into the armiger, Gladio finally let out a relieved sigh and stretched. Riding in the bed of the truck while maintaining hyper vigilance for the last few hours was exhausting to say the least. But now that the sun had gone down for the last time and the world was plunged into constant darkness, it was the only way to stay alive.

“Need anything else from me?” Gladio asked the driver.

 He shook his head. “Nah, we’re good for right now. We’ll be heading back tomorrow around 1900 if you need a lift back to HQ.”

“I’ll let you know before mid-day tomorrow. Thanks, Tim.” Gladio waved him and the other hunters goodbye before making his way down the narrow passages of the city. He tried his best not to make eye contact with the absolute swarm of vagrants and refugees that choked every nook and underpass along his path. Not that he didn’t have the gil to give them, he did, but if he gave a coin to one person the rest would descend upon him like pigeons on breadcrumbs and he just didn’t have the energy for that.

He always donated whatever extra meat he hunted to the shelters, so that curtailed his guilt somewhat.

He rounded another corner and unlocked the bolted door to his apartment building. Thank the Six Ignis had the foresight to land them an apartment early on before it began to really get dark and refugees began piling into the city. It was only a one bed one bath loft, but it had enough space for two oversized futons to cram into the living room for when Gladio or Prompto needed a place to hang their hats. Ignis claimed the bedroom without argument from the other two. He’d found the place after all and he was in Lestallum more than either of them anyway, so it only made sense he got the luxury of the actual bed.

“Hullo hullo…” Gladio called once he was in the door. No response.

Ignis was probably out doing whatever he did with the Lestallum government. He’d also been working with Doctor Sania with the collection of items for her research into different remedies. He was fuzzy on the details of that too, but it seemed to keep the advisor busy enough. Ignis was never one to give himself much downtime.

Taking a quick shower and changing his clothes to something a bit less armored, he headed back out to get a desperately needed meal.

Making his way to his favorite Lestallum pub, The Harp, he gave the bouncer a light punch on the shoulder as he made his way past him without needing to show an ID. The place was pretty well packed for the late lunch rush. His stomach grumbled at the smell of cooking food as he made his way up to the bar and found a vacant stool. It wasn’t until he sat down did he realize he recognized the person sitting next to him. “Libertus?”

The older man turned toward Gladio, took an instant to recognize him, and stood up so fast he nearly knocked his barstool over. “Gladio!” Suddenly he’s wrapped in a bear hug so tight that he’s briefly reminded of the last time he’d fought a midgardsormr. “I haven’t seen you since Crownsguard training. What…two years ago?”

He wheezes, “Nice to see you too, Lib.” Libertus put him down. “How’s things?”

The glaive shrugged. “As well as it can be I suppose. We’ve been doing a half decent job gathering shards and we’ve almost got the grid up all the way to Wiz’s Ranch.

Gladio nodded and ordered an ale and medium rare burger from the passing bartender. “Yeah, we went out that way before things went dark. Vyv, paid us a good chunk of gil to explore the Tomb of the Tall and Costlemark. Prompto offered to take the pictures for him, but he insisted on experiencing it himself.”

Libertus’ eyebrows rose. “You managed to get _Vyv_ …the photographer guy, through Costlemark? How did you pull that off? That guy gets winded standing still.”

Shrugging, Gladio sipped his beer. “Hey, he can move when he needs to. He got some really amazing shots too, and we even found some loot we’d missed first time through. So, it was a win win.”

“That’s good. I’ve been seeing Ignis around a lot lately. Busy guy.”

“That’s Ignis. He doesn’t know what to do with himself if he has free time.”

Libertus finished off his beer and ordered another for each of them. “And you? What have you been up to lately other than escorting photographers around?”

“Been doing hunts a little way out east for Hunter HQ. There haven’t been as many daemons as we expected, but there’s been an influx of mutants.”

Libertus nodded with a slightly bitter look on his face. “Yeah… You notice more and more bounties are for humans too?”

“Unfortunately. I don’t like taking them, but some people are more monstrous than the daemons out there. You hear about the old man out near Old Lestallum?”

“The one trafficking kids?”

“That’s the one. Rumor has it he didn’t live long enough for the marshals to get there. I hear the townsfolk along with the hunter who found him tied him up to a tree out in the wilds and left him there for the local fauna.” The bartender brought him his food. “Thanks.”

 The topic at hand didn’t curtail his appetite as much as it should. Discussions like these were getting more common by the day. There was that shooting at the Lestallum club last week where four people died, the caravan that broke down in the heart of killer wasp country, that brothel that burned down near the Cauthess Rest Area... He shoved another handful of fries in his mouth while Libertus spoke.

“I did hear that.” He shrugged sadly. “But what do you expect now that most of the prisons are closed. I hear word that marshals are going to start going medieval with punishments soon.”

Gladio swallowed a mouthful of burger. “You mean like hangings?”

Libertus shook his head. “Not that extreme yet. Unless you deserve it, I guess. But I hear whispers of cutting off fingers for theft and stuff like that.”

“Well… What can you do? It’s getting wild out there.” Gladio finished his beer and declined when Libertus offered to buy him another. “By the way, stay away from the area around Kellebram Haven.”

“More bandits?”

Gladio shook his head, idly considering ordering a shot or three from the images that started to flood his head. There had been so much blood and no bodies. “Just trust me on this one.”

There was a pregnant silence between the two while Gladio forced the rest of the burger past the sudden bitter taste in his mouth. Thankfully Libertus decided to change the subject. “So… I saw Prompto last week.”

That perked Gladio up. “Oh yeah? Where?”

“Here in Lestallum. We had a few of our younger Glaives looking to spar with some of the ‘ _legendary Crownsguard’_ ” he said with a hint of humor. “You remember sparring with a few of them if I recall. Alexus took quite the shine to you.” Libertus winked.

Gladio shrugged humbly and wiped the last of the ketchup off his plate with the pickle. “I took a shine to her too. It’s not often I meet a lady that attractive who can beat me in a fight.” They’d done more than spar that night up at their apartment too, but Gladio was never one to kiss and tell.

“Other than Aranea of course,” Libertus added with a knowing smirk.

Gladio scoffed, remembering his embarrassing defeat at the hands of the dragoon the last time they sparred. What was it, two months ago? “Yeah well you try dodging a spear coming at you at that height.”

Holding his hands up defensively, Libertus chuckled. “Oh, I’m not knocking you. She’s got bigger fangs than a behemoth…” Libertus glanced over his shoulder cautiously just in case she was in the room. “She does look like she was poured into that outfit though. I’d ask her out, but I think she might break me.”

“You might be right.” Gladio put a few gil down and slid his stool away from the bar. He patted the Glaive warmly on the shoulder. “Well, I’ve been up for about forty hours and I’m gonna hit the hay. Keep fighting the good fight, Lib. Thanks for the beer.”

Libertus patted him back. “For hearth and home?”

“For hearth and home.”

A few minutes later, Gladio was walking back up the long stairs toward the apartment. He entered the room quietly out of habit and kicked his boots off before stripping himself down to his boxers and flopping down onto his futon. He barely had the energy to pull his blanket and pillow out from beneath the lumpy mattress and make himself comfortable before he was well on his way to a much-needed slumber.

He didn’t really dream, he rarely did, but he was swept with the intermittent vision of the inside of his dining room back in the Amicitia Manor , half a lifetime ago. He was eating a bowl of cereal with Iris across the table from him as sun streamed in the oversized windows. Jared was occupying himself in the background wordlessly while his father walked by and scolded Gladio for eating something so laden with sugar. Iris idly told her father to ‘chill out Dad, he’ll burn it off anyway,’ before Clarus smiled, mussing her hair. It was a simple dream that was mostly a memory, but it left the young Lord Shield with a deep sense of saudade that lingered with him deeply well through the rest of the night.  

The sound of a door opening snapped Gladio’s eyes open. He’d always been a light sleeper, even before his days training to be shield. Light from the only bedroom flooded their small kitchenette with a warm orange glow as Ignis stepped out in just his sleep pants. His hair was mussed, sticking up every which way. Gladio had never seen Ignis like that before. His face calm and blissful, a tired swagger to his step, and his shoulders didn’t seem as tight as they usually were.

He turned the kettle on and pulled out a mug, showing no indication that he knew the shield was there.

A second pair of footsteps drew Gladio’s attention back to the bedroom.

Prompto here too? He’d never known Ignis to keep company.

A dark-haired man, somewhere in his early twenties, and a few inches shorter than Ignis, walked out of the bedroom, buttoning up his jeans as he did. Gladio’s eyes adjusted as the man walked up to Ignis and wrapped his arms around him sensually, kissing the back of the strategist’s exposed spine as he did. “Will you be home tonight?” he asked.

“Most likely,” Ignis replied warmly. “Will you be joining me?”

“Maybe. We have a run to Old Lestallum to pick up some car parts, but we should be back before long.”

“Call me when you return?” It sounded more like a question than a request.

The man kissed Ignis’ shoulder and gave him a light smack on his ass. Gladio raised an eyebrow and stifled a chuckle. “Keep the bed warm for me.”

“Of course.”

Grabbing his shoes, the dark-haired man waved at Ignis casually before opening the door and descending down the stairs to the street below.

Gladio waited for the sound of footsteps to fade away before he cleared his throat, announcing his presence.

Ignis turned toward him and in a flash of light his daggers were in his hands. Sense of peace gone, Ignis the Crownsguard member was standing in their kitchen again.

“Iggy, it’s me. Put those things away.”

Ignis resumed his non-battle stance and banished his blades, but a lingering sense of guilt lingered on his face. “Apologies. I… When did you get back?”

“Midafternoon yesterday.” Gladio shrugged from the futon. He was still groggy and had every intention to go back to bed, but not before a little humor on Ignis expense. “Sorry to eaves drop on your _friends_ visit.” Gladio briefly considered the man’s stature, hair, and build. It reminded him of someone. Someone princely.  

Even in the darkness, the blush on Ignis’ face was apparent. “Yes…well…”  The kettle began to whistle. Ignis turned it off and poured himself a cup. “Can I get you any?”

“What time is it?”

“Somewhere around six.”

“No thanks. To the tea I mean. I’m gonna try and catch a few more hours.”

Ignis almost looked relieved. Gladio assumed he was only making small talk to be polite. The three of them had fallen out of communication as of late. Every time he bumped into Ignis or Prompto it felt like they were falling more and more out of synch with each other. Shit he hadn’t even seen Prompto in six months.

“Hey, Iggs…” Gladio said as the other man turned toward the bedroom.

“Yes?”

“You seem happy. I’m glad.”

Ignis just smiled, nodded, and closed the door.

 

~X~X~X~

Okay I know not much has actually happened in this story yet, but just know that I’m working really hard to have character and world development during this fic. There’s a lot we don’t see or know about what happened during the WOR, especially during the alternate ending. So, I’m peppering in as much canon (what even is that word anymore?) content as I can while still leading up to where I want it. Comrades included.

The next chapter will have some NSFW content. I promise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio stumbles across Prompto and find's out what he's been doing with himself all this time. He's not sure he approves, but Prompto quickly shows him he can take care of himself.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 3

~2.5 years~

 

Pulling his motorcycle into the Coernix Station to refuel, Prompto took the moment to restock up on supplies. The once bustling outpost was on it’s last legs. It’s batteries and gas-powered generator were failing and despite the addition of a wind turbines a few months back, it wasn’t generating as much energy as they needed to keep the lights on.

Prompto gave it another month before everyone had to evacuate. Tops.

Grabbing the last potion off the shelf, a box of ammo, and a few bottles of water, he paid for the gas and went back outside. He checked his phone, not even seeing the disused app of Kings Knight anymore, he noticed that he had a few texts. Upon opening them up he was surprised to see who they were from.

 **Gladio >** Hey Chocobo.

 **Gladio >** Did you know your phone number is written on the bathroom wall at Longwythe? (picture included)

 **Gladio >** I tried wiping it off, but it was in permanent marker. Just wanted you aware of it.

Blue-violet eyes rolled. Gladio hadn’t reached out to him in months and _this_ was finally the reason to shoot out a text? Prompto sighed, at least the shield was looking out for him. Maybe he should extend an olive branch too.

 **Prompto >** People suck. Where are you at now?

The response came seconds later.

 **Gladio >** Heading north from Galdin Quay to Hammerhead. Bringing Takka some leftover stuff from the restaurant.

 **Gladio >** You?

            Chewing his lip, the blonde debated what to respond. He had some business to take care of in Hammerhead. Having Gladio there might make things complicated. Still, he hadn’t seen the guy in the better part of a year and Quay was still a few hours out.

Still, the world was a dangerous place and he would feel guilty if something happened to either of them and they’d missed this chance to say hello.

 **Prompto >** I’m actually heading toward Hammerhead too. I’ll probably beet you there.

 **Gladio >** Good. I’ll buy you a beer. We need to catch up. It’s been too long.

            No texts followed after that, so Prompto put his helmet back on, straddled his bike and continued on to finish his job.

Thankfully Hammerhead was moderately busy that evening. In his line of work it was always awkward when the place was close to empty. It was always more likely for someone to overhear what he said and watch where he went. Busy was confusing. Busy was good.

Parking his bike in the garage and putting a security chain around the back tire he grabbed his bag and made his way up to Cindy’s office, located up a scaffolding on the upper level of the garage. He knocked and was glad to find her there, tinkering with a small engine. She lifted her goggles when she saw him. “Evening Sug. You in town for business or pleasure?”

“Maybe both. You mind if I use your bathroom for a few minutes?”

“G’head.”

Safely inside the only clean bathroom around for miles, Prompto quickly slid out of his riding jacket and put on a blue plaid shirt, leaving it mostly open at the top. Then he slid into his tight (but thankfully flexible) gray jeans and sneakers. Using a little product he fluffed up the hair style that the helmet had destroyed, brushed his teeth, and for the finishing touch he put on his old, thick rimmed glasses from high school.

He didn’t really need them anymore since he got his eyes fixed his senior year, but it completed the look.

Tucking his bag under the sink for safe keeping he exited. “How do I look?” He asked Cindy and struck a pose.

“Like a display in the window of a skater shop,” she said with a chuckle. “All you need is a nose ring.”

Prompto raised an eyebrow. “Thanks?”

She chuckled again and lowered her goggles. “Bring protection Sug, and don’t go makin’ a mess like last time.”

“I can make no promises,” he said before descending down toward Takka’s restaurant. Grabbing an out of date auto magazine he ordered some cottage chips and posted up in the corner of the dinner/bar and waited as more patrons began to come in. He scanned the crowd, which was mostly hunters, an out of place family of four (clearly passing through), and a variety of other people brave or ignorant enough to come out this far east.

Lestallum was widely known as the safest area, but there were still a few stubborn people who insisted on staying in their homes until it was too late. Prompto hoped that family had a safe destination. He’d hate to see those kids sleeping in the Lestallum gutters, or worse.

Suddenly Takka appeared at his side with a small side of mustard he hadn’t ordered. Looking up, Prompto met eyes with the owner who whispered, “Last two seats at the bar. Near the storage room,” before returning behind the counter.

Trying not to be too obvious, Prompto glanced over the heads of the crowd to the far end of the dinner. Sure enough there were the two guys he was looking for. One was enormous, barrel chested, with a bushy beard and a garula embroidered on his jacket. The other was almost as big, but clean shaven. His nose was crooked from being busted years ago, and his gauged ears with the tips of garula tusks in them was the final identifier.

Popping the last of his chips in his mouth he stood up, fixed his glasses on his face, and made his way across the floor.

~

Pulling into Hammerhead ahead of schedule, Gladio gave Dave a hand moving the last cases of various liquors and canned foods they’d scavenged for Takka from Galdin Quay. It seemed like an easy job at first, but none of them had counted on tonberries being there. Thankfully they’d emerged when they were just about done loading the truck, so they’d all hopped in and sped off before the tiny daemons could close the distance.

Gladio was brave, not stupid.

He got the last case of vodka out of the truck and waved Dave off to do whatever he wanted. Hopefully the haven across the street was available, but if not, Cindy usually let him sleep in the back of one of the junker cars she’d yet to repair. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing and not a luxury she extended to many. Most weren’t brave or stupid enough to ask.

Cindy was small, but she wasn’t a pushover. The last thief who tried stealing her welding equipment got the business end of the sawed-off shotgun Cindy was known to carry nowadays. She called it ‘Jezebel’. When Cid heard about it he’d just laughed and said, “That’s my girl!”

Walking through the back door of the dinner Gladio put the case down with the other liquors and made his way toward the main room to get his pay from Takka. A familiar voice made his hand freeze on the doorknob. Was that Prompto?

He listened for a moment before slowly letting go of the doorknob. That couldn’t be Prompto. The other two gruff voices with him made his shield instincts prickle. Something wasn’t right.

The first of the gruff voices chuckled. “That’s a lot of gil for one hour, Blondie. What will you do to make it worth my time?”

The other voice sounded more like gravel. “Yeah. I mean you’re a hot twink and all, but you’ve got to sweeten the deal a bit. There’s other whore’s here who’ll suck dick for half that price.”

The younger voice that sounded like Prompto hummed. “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I like to be roughed up a little.” He whispered. “When was the last time you guys spit-roasted someone? Or maybe…” one of the guys gave a choking gasp as if he’d been groped. Gladio swallowed past the dry lump in his throat when he heard Prompto laugh. Yup, that was him alright. What was he doing? “Maybe if you stretch me out enough I might be able to get two of you in me. It’s been a little while, but if you’re willing to give it the old college try, so am I.”

Gladio took a step back away from the door and rubbed his hands down his face. He didn’t need to be hearing this. Was this what Prompto had been doing for the past two years to earn gil? If he was he wasn’t really judging him but… Prompto was better than that.

There was a bang against the storage door that made Gladio jump. There was a moan and the sound of messy kissing coming from the other side.

Then again… maybe there was a reason the blondes phone number was written on a seedy bathroom wall.

“Where are you two staying?” Prompto purred.

One of them cleared their throat and whispered back. “We rented the caravan.”

“You better be worth the gil, Blondie.” There was the hard slap of a hand on denim.

Prompto gave a coy chuckle. “I’m sure I’ll be able to surprise you. Lead the way.”

By now Gladio was already slipping back out the back door to the dinner and making a wide arch around to the front of Takka’s. Hiding behind a parked box truck he glanced around toward the caravan. Sure enough, it was Prompto. One of the two enormous men flanking him had his arm over the gunslinger’s shoulder.

The whole situation smelled bad. Gladio had seen Prompto take out beasts, daemons, and Niff soldiers alike, but this… Humans were different. Humans were worse.

Once the three of them were in the caravan Gladio made his way closer and slipped behind it, away from the sight of the dinner crowd, and listened. There was the murmur of words within, but he couldn’t make out what was being said.

There were a few light moans from all parties and briefly Gladio felt guilty for listening in. This really _really_ wasn’t any of his business. Maybe he could just go back to the dinner, pretend he never heard anything, order a beer and text Prompto in an hour or so saying he’d arrived.

Yeah, that would work. Prompto didn’t need to know Gladio knew. They could catch up, have a few brews, and go their separate ways.

Good plan.

Suddenly the whole caravan banged and gave a violent lurch on its cinder blocks. One of the deep voices yelled a there were sounds of a struggle. By the time shots started ringing out Gladio was already sprinting toward the front of the caravan. The door was locked, but it was cheaply made enough that Gladio gave one good yank and the metal latch broke.

When he entered the space, he expected to see Prompto pinned down or someone with a gunshot wound, but instead he froze at the scene.

Prompto stood shirtless in the middle of the room, gun drawn and breathing hard. One of the two large men was naked except for his boxers with one hand cuffed to the frame of the foldable bed. The other was splayed on the ground, frozen in time, with his hands held up defensively.

The gunslinger turned toward Gladio, sharing an expression of surprise. After a few long seconds he wiped the blood dripping from his nose. Prompto had filled out over the last few years. He was paler (everyone was), but bare arms showed the beginnings of tattoo sleeves. Mostly cartoonish pictures of a chocobo, a cactuar, and the like along with a barcode and a few comic book accents*. Gladio wasn’t sure what surprised him more, the scene or the ink.

“You gonna give me a hand or are you just gonna to stand there staring at me?”

This snapped Gladio out of his trance. “Oh. Yeah, sure. What do you need?”

With some extra help from Takka and Dave (who hadn’t left the dinner yet) the four of them managed to get the two large men into the garage, where they were handcuffed to a support beam. Cindy sat nearby with Jezebel in her lap, keeping an eye on them until the Marshall got there.

Gladio stood by silently as Prompto used a minor cure spell to fix his bloodied nose and clean up before getting dressed again and reemerging from the bathroom. Without a word of explanation, he walked up to the shield and said, “I believe you mentioned a beer.”

To say that the whole scene was tense was an understatement. Thanks to the word that there was a Marshall en route, a lot of the patrons of Takka’s departed, leaving just a few legal hunters and the two of them at the bar. Prompto downed half his beer as soon as it hit the polished counter top before Gladio had even touched his. The shield was still trying to figure out what to ask…or rather how to ask what just happened.

Thankfully, Prompto started filling in some of the holes for him unprompted.

“They were chocobo poachers,” he said flatly. “People called them the Tusk Brothers.” He took another sip of beer and kept his eyes forward. “In case you were curious.”

Gladio had seen their flyer back at HQ. He was surprised he hadn’t recognized them. “So…you’re a bounty hunter now? Is that what you’ve been up to these past two years?”

“Some of it. Yeah.”

“I’m surprised we haven’t crossed paths more then. I’ve been doing hunts and escorts almost constantly. You should have told me, we could have teamed up on a few of them.”

Prompto turned toward him, his expression softer. “You’d want to work with me?”

Gladio frowned. “Of course. We’ve worked together with Noct for years. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Six, I might have been able to talk Ignis into coming on more hunts with you around.”

“Huh… And here I thought it was because you guys missed me, not team dynamics.”

Gladio took a sip of his beer, unsure how to answer that. He and the blonde had never really been _friends_ , but he liked the kid. A lot. “Prompto, what’s gotten into you? I’ve never heard you sound so bitter. Even back in Insomnia you were cracking bad jokes when everyone was miserable, and now I find you dirty talking strange hunters and giving _me_ the cold shoulder. Talk to me.”

Sighing heavily, Prompto ran a finger along the rim of the glass, pushing the foam around. “Sorry Gladio… I… It’s been rough with Noct gone. Ya know?”

“Course I do.”

“You probably don’t remember the night at my parent’s house after the Citadel. You were hammered. Ignis was pretty drunk too I think, but… Iggy told me some things that nobody should know. He kept rambling on about who I was and _what_ I was and…” he traced a thumb over the barcode on his wrist. Gladio just not noticed that it looked a lot older than the others. “Long story short I haven’t drank near enough to tell you everything I learned about where I came from, but I wasn’t prepared for it. It…I was rough for a while.”

“Is that why you disappeared on us for six months?”

Prompto nodded. “Yeah. Cor ended up finding me and smacking some sense into me. A few months later I outfitted my guns with stopshot and non-lethal bullets and I’ve been doing human bounties for almost two years now.”

“You were always good at ranged hunts like the griffons and wasps. Why only do human hunts?”

He shrugged. “Guess I’m just made for it.”

Gladio felt like there was some subtext in that statement, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Instead, he decided to shift the subject a little. “Well, at least you’re a good actor. I confess that I overheard what you said to those two before going into the caravan. That’s some A+ strategy to get them away from the crowd. Believable too. You almost had me going.”

Prompto snorted and cracked a smile. “You heard everything?”

“Pretty much yeah. Where did you learn to act like that?”

The blonde smirked and finished his beer. “Who said it was an act?” He watched as the shields face shifted from humor, to confusion, to a faint blush. It wasn’t often Prompto made the larger man flustered. He enjoyed it.

“Ha ha, very funny.” Gladio stammered out and finished his beer. He ordered two shots from Takka, who nodded and poured them. Prompto remained silent, even as Gladio slid him the shot. They clinked them together before downing them, both making a grimace as the cheap liquor went down. “You are joking…Right?”

“It does work out well if you really think about it. Not all of us are big guys who can swing around a massive sword, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Most of these guys I’ve been hunting are about as big as you are. Most are capable of murder or worse. If they see a guy like you walk in they get tense. But…” Prompto ran a knuckle up the side of Gladio’s arm, lingering over the lines of the tattoo with his thumb.

“Prom?”

He scooted closer, so that their knees touched. His voice dropped in volume and got smoother. “But if they see me walk in wearing snug jeans and a swing in my hip, they do the opposite. They let their guard down. Maybe I’ll let them buy me a drink. Sometimes I’ll chat with them for a while, but more often than not they don’t want to talk much unless its what they want to do with me.” Running his hand down his own leg he slid it onto Gladio’s light denim and gave a slight squeeze. Surprisingly, the shield didn’t flinch away.

“Normally things go the way they did in the caravan. Especially if there’s just one of them. I’d get them comfortable enough to get their weapons off along with their pants and by then it’s just a matter of restraining them or getting them with a stopshot.” He slid off the stool so he was practically standing between Gladio’s legs. The shield just gazed at him half lidded, as if he wasn’t entirely aware of who he was looking at. His hands gripping the underside of the stool like it was a lifeline. “But some are too smart for that. Sometimes I need to have a dick half way down my throat before they let their guard down enough.” His hands slid up both thighs to Gladio’s hips and further back. Prompto’s leg just barely brushed the bulge forming in Gladio’s pants as he leaned in close to the shields lips. “With most though, I don’t even have to leave the bar to get them.”

The rasping sound of a handcuff closing brought Gladio back out of his trance. Lifting his hand up he found it firmly latched the back of the swivel barstool.

“Gotcha.” Prompto smirked and sat back down, taking another shot.

Gladio pulled hard against the backing of the stool, but the professional grade cuffs held.  “Okay, Chocobo. You proved your point. Now unlock these.”

“No.”

Gladio blinked at him. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

Prompto leaned in and spoke very clearly. “Apologize.”

“What?”

“Apologize for judging me. You did. Don’t deny it.” Gladio closed his mouth from where he was about to protest. “And one other thing… but apologize first.”

Taking a deep breath, Gladio’s anger dissipated. The gunslinger was right after all. He had judged him. “I’m sorry.”

“For?”

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions and being a judgmental asshole. You’re a lot more skilled than I gave you credit for. Happy?”

He nodded his head. “It’ll do.” He waited for Gladio to continue, enjoying him squirm in the discomfort that he was bested.

Breathing through his nose to contain his temper, Gladio asked, “You said ‘one other thing’. What is it?”

“The caravan’s available now that the Tusk Brothers are in company. It’s all paid for and everything. Crash with me there.”

Gladio rose an eyebrow in suspicion. “Is this another part of your game? I’m not a fan of being played.”

“No games. Promise.” He fiddled with the keys to the cuffs to hide the tightness in his throat. “Don’t laugh, but… It’s been a long time... a _really_ long time since I’ve been able to sleep in a room without a knife under my pillow. We may not see eye to eye on a lot of thing, Gladio, but I trust you. That’s something I can’t say about a lot of people these days.”

The shields expression softened and he looked at Prompto with an expression more of understanding than vexation. “Okay. I’ll stay.”

Prompto undid the lock and tucked the cuffs back into his back pocket. “Well I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hit the hay.”

Nodding, Gladio gave him a light smile. “Yeah. Not gonna lie. I’m pretty beat myself. A real bed, even a caravan one, sounds amazing.”

Takka passed by and Prompto waved him over again. “In that case I’m gonna have one more shot. Normally I’m not in a secure enough location to get a buzz going, but tonight I’ll try and relax. You want one too?”

Rubbing his wrist, Gladio relented. “Fine one more, but that’s it.”

Three sets of shots and some reminiscing later the two of them found their way to the caravan. Upon entering it for the second time of the evening Prompto took a moment to kick his boots off while Gladio used the small bathroom. He ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the dining table, picturing four plates full of Ignis’ stir-fry on it. One plate always had less vegetables than the others. After dinner the four of them would usually play Kings Knight or cards outside if the weather was nice before retiring for the evening.

In the morning Ignis would rise first and make coffee while Gladio did quick morning run. Those moments were nice, when he could just hang out in the tent quietly with Noctis. Normally they wouldn’t do more than play a stupid game on their phones or tuck a pillow over their eyes and try to sleep late until one of the others practically dragged them out of bed.

For a moment he could smell those mornings. The product in Noct’s hair, Gladio’s antiperspirant, and Ignis’ aftershave beneath the aroma of breakfast and coffee as the sun rose to the east. It had a smell too somehow. A smell he’d all but forgotten.

He swallowed back the lump in his throat when Gladio stepped out of the bathroom and kicked off his boots too. The shield stretched and grabbed a bottle of water before heading back toward the tail end of the camper where the bed was, pausing only an instant before crawling into it. “Did you want the bed? I can take the fold-out.”

Prompto couldn’t help but smile. He rubbed his eyes as if he was tired to hide him wiping away the forming tears. “Nah, it’s ok. The four of us used to fit in here somehow. I think the two of us can manage without elbowing each other in the ribs for one night.”

Nodding, Gladio kicked off his jeans and draped them over the couch before killing the light and lounging across the mattress. Thankfully Cindy had started laying out a clean sheet in between caravan renters. It was out of mercy for the mattress more than hospitality, but Prompto was thankful for it none the less. Reaching into the cabinet over the doorway he found the old wool blanket he stashed there just in case he needed it. The desert nights were known to get chilly after all.

Kicking off his snug jeans he crawled on the bed too, draping the small blanket over himself and whispering a cursory, “G’night, Gladio,” and closing his eyes.

“Night, Prom.”

Oddly enough, that’s what cracked Prompto’s tough façade completely. Thankful that he was facing away from the shield, the tears started to flow down his face into the sheet below freely. It occurred to Prompto, in that moment, that nobody had said goodnight to him while lying in bed next to him. Not since before Altissia. Not since Noctis went to the crystal. Not since he’d run off to Zegnautus Keep and found out what he was. Every bed partner he’d had was a mark or fling who’d normally just passed out or gotten dressed and left before she sheets even cooled. With Noctis gone there was nobody left who gave a shit about him. Nobody left who-

A strong tattooed arm wrapped around him as the warm body attached to it joined shortly after. For a moment he suspected Gladio was getting frisky, but when the shield whispered, “It’s alright. I miss it too,” all tension fled the blondes body.

Tears still flowed, but they weren’t accompanied by the tight throated sobs that had threatened seconds before.

What must have been about twenty minutes later, the tears on his cheek dried and his heartrate had returned to a calm pace. The only think that kept him from nodding off was a particularly lumpy spot in the mattress digging into his ribs. Shifting his weight so that he was still under Gladio’s arm, Prompto ended up with his face inches from the tattooed birds face on Gladio’s chest.

Gladio smelled good. Like leather, steel, and whisky.

The big guy had always been known to be a sprawling sleeper and the occasional cuddler, but Prompto had never been more thankful for the shields odd habit.

“Can’t sleep?” Gladio hummed from above him.

Prompto lifted his head slightly so he was facing him. “Yeah. It’s just… This place has a lot of memories. Ya know?”

Gladio nodded. “Keep thinking you’re gonna reach out and Iggy’ll be lying stiff as a board, or Noct tangled in his half-zipped sleeping bag?”

Prompto let out a bittersweet laugh. “Yeah.”

Gladio mussed his hair. “You’d always end up sleeping like a capital ‘H’ at some point on hot nights. Your head would be on someone’s leg and a foot would inevitably find a face.”

“Yeah well, least I don’t snore. Iggy ended up investing in some earplugs after a while. Maybe we should get him some noise canceling headphones next chance we get. Lestallum can’t be easy to sleep in for him.”

The hand that was mussing Prompto’s hair slid down to the side of his face. A calloused thumb brushing his cheek and ghosting down to the edge of his lips. Prompto’s heart rate increased again, wondering what was happening. He looked back up at Gladio, realizing that his gaze lingered on the larger man’s lips longer than his eyes.

He wasn’t completely sure when they’d kissed, but the next thing he knew they just were. It started fairly chaste and lazy, like floating down a river. It was Gladio who first darted a tongue out and requested permission that Prompto willingly gave. After that hands began to roam and shirts were pushed up to allow more skin to skin contact. The growing need between the two of them was apparent as they rubbed against each other through the cotton of their boxers.

It was Prompto who took the initiative and slid his hands down between them, pulling down the elastic far enough to free the flesh beneath and stroking Gladio’s girth liberally while grinding into it with his own. Gladio growled into his mouth when he twisted his wrist toward the head, so he did it again, giving the shield’s lip a light bite as he did.

Strong hands slid down the back of his boxers and grabbed pale orbs of flesh and squeezing just hard enough to send another bolt of pleasure to Prompto’s own cock.

“Do you have any supplies?” Gladio whispered hoarsely into Prompto’s ear as he thrust up into his hand.

“In my pack. It’s in Cindy’s office above the garage.”

Gladio groaned.

“Don’t worry about it,” Prompto said, “Let me take care of you.” He released Gladio’s flesh and pushed his hip so that he was on his back and began to slide down the mattress so that he was between the shields legs.

“Prompto, you don’t have to.”

Hooking his fingers in the dark fabric he pulled them down as far as Gladio’s thighs, freeing his flesh fully. It was as impressive as he’d imagined it would be as he weighed it in his palm. “But I want to,” was all he said before dipping his head down and running the flat of his tongue from base to tip, earning a moan from the larger man. He repeated the process until he felt he’d tortured Gladio enough and wrapped his lips around the tip, looking up at the expression he earned as he did.

Fingers tangled in his hair and for a moment Prompto braced himself for the usual force that accompanied the motion, but only light encouragement came. Gladio was clearly restraining himself as Prompto worked slowly, going a little further down with every bob of his head. “Fuck. Prom, you’re so good at that.”

Prompto just hummed in response and continued.

When he managed to brush curled hair with the tip of his nose he could go no further. Gladio’s thighs were trembling and he could feel the telltale twitch in his mouth of the coming orgasm. Normally this was where he would snag the mark’s weapon and restrain them when they were most vulnerable, but instead he pulled away, leaving a sloppy string of saliva between them in his wake.

Taking an instant to be selfish he kicked off his own boxers and straddled the powerful thighs beneath him before using both hands to wrap around their members together. The ample saliva provided more than enough lubrication as he thrust up into his own hands, jerking them both together as he did.

Watching Gladio come undone was not a sight Prompto thought he would ever be graced with seeing, and the view of the shield trembling beneath him pushed him over the edge with only a few quick strokes of his hands. His orgasm adding to the lubrication as he increased speed.

Gladio grabbed his thighs hard enough to surely leave bruises and thrust up to meet him. “Prompto, I’m…” was all the warning he got before Gladio clenched in on himself and shot hot white ribbons all over his hands, a good portion of it landing on his own abs between them.

The two of them paused a moment to catch their breath before contemplating how to clean up the mess between them. Prompto scooted away and turned, disappearing to the other end of the caravan before reemerging with a t-shirt that belonged to neither of them. “I don’t think one of the Tusk Brothers want this back anyway, right?” Prompto said, wiping his hands and tossing it to Gladio to clean himself.

Once they were both as clean as they were going to get they shed their shirts and socks (which somehow remained on during the whole event) and tossed them to the side, curling up with one another beneath the small wool blanket.

The fabric itched against bare skin, but for Prompto at least, it was as comfortable as he’d been in years.

~X~X~X

Okay I know that was a long chapter for just some oral and a hand job. But this is a slow-ish-burn fic. Remember? More to come I promise.

Thanks to Goldslactuar for the brainstorming session again. You’re always fun to work with

*Yes that was a shout out to the art by Memoxcrom on Tumblr. It poked my muse just right :)

Please leave comments for what you liked/disliked/would like to see in coming chapters. These comments and kudos feed my dark little writers soul. Don’t let me starve!

 

 

 


	4. Dog Tags

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis gets some bad news, and the others are there to help him through it.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 4

 

~3 years~

Double checking his phone, Ignis tried his best not to let himself become too concerned with the caravan’s tardiness. Standing atop the makeshift wall surrounding the city he gazes out onto the only approaching road and waits, idly fidgeting with his pen and clipboard.

 It wasn’t as easy to dictate how long it would take vehicles to go from place to place as it once was. Not with roads in constant disrepair, the trucks breaking down, and all sort of other hazards to contend with to say the least. Still, Devon usually called him when they were running excessively late.

Devon had been his on-again-off-again lover for nearly two years. Their meeting hadn’t been intentional or even welcome initially.

At the time of their meeting it had been a little over a year since Noctis had left them for the crystal. Ignis was picking up the last bag of coffee down at the trade post. He’d extended his hand to take it, when a young man reached out and snatched it before him.

Ignis turned toward him, prickling with indignant anger, ready to curtly tell him off when he got a good look at him and his voice seized in his throat. The young man was dressed casually in all black with an oversized sports team sweatshirt hanging off his shoulders. His hair was charcoal black and hung lazily around his blue-grey eyes. “Oh, sorry. Did you want this?” he’d asked.

Clearing his throat, Ignis stated that he did.

The other man made a sincerely apologetic face, double checking the back end of the shelf to see if there was another one, but there wasn’t. “Sorry. Ummm…maybe another shipment will come in soon?”

Ignis sighed. The other man had gotten there first, so in all politeness it was his. He briefly wondered how far he could ration what was left in his pantry back home before he had to start switching to tea. He got a mild headache just thinking about it.

They both knew that the next shipment was going to be a while, if it was coming at all.

Putting on a polite smile, Ignis adjusted his glasses. “Well, be sure you guard that carefully. Small pleasures are rare these days. I hope you enjoy it.” He turned to leave when the man had reached out and caught the back of his arm.

“Wait. How about we split it.”

“Oh, well that’s very courteous of-”

“Under one condition,” he’d said. “You share a pot of it with me first. What do you say?”

Ignis swallowed hard. It wasn’t that the man was coming on to him (at least politely), but the fact that this stranger looked so very much like Prince Noctis was what made him hesitate. Sure, his skin tone was different, his voice was deeper, and his eyes weren’t quite the right color, but he could pass as a worthy doppelganger.

Part of Ignis felt guilty for even considering it. He’d spent the better part of his life in service to the prince, and now he was staring at what summed up to be a physical replacement. His mind was going over the ethics so long that the young man had leaned in and waved his hands to snap Ignis out of it. “Is that a no?” He’d said, sounding disappointed.

Ignis stammered. “No… I mean yes. I mean… No, it wasn’t a no. I…” He huffed at his own verbal stumbles. “Yes, I will have some coffee with you.” He extended a hand. “Ignis.”

The young man returned the firm hand shake. “Devon.”

It started out as just a date at Devon’s flat. Casual, warm, nothing physical. They’d talked for hours about everything and nothing. About what Ignis used to do in the Citadel and what Devon was currently up to running supplies with the Glaives. He’d once been a professional waiter, of all things, but once the world started falling apart it was tough to find work in his field. So he picked up a polearm, a gun, and hopped a truck with the next outgoing caravan and the rest was history.

They’d done the traditional three dates before they’d slept together. After that they spent what time they could together between supply runs and Ignis’ work with the government and Sania. Never once had they really put a title on what they were. They’d tossed around the phrase friends-with-benefits and then lovers later on, but neither of them had ever used the term ‘boyfriend’. Even then it really didn’t seem like the proper word, but still, it was something, and Ignis wanted to talk to Devon when he got back from the current run to make it official.

Finally, Ignis saw a few sets of headlights coming up the winding path to the city. Pulling up his binoculars he scans the three vehicles before finding one who’s left headlight flickers. It’s definitely the truck Devon departed on. He can’t contain his sigh of relief as they pass into the tunnel and out of sight in their approach. “Ready the gate,” he calls down to the guards below.

A few moments later the three trucks were driving under the portcullis before it closed loudly behind them. Trying his best not to appear too eager he went to the first car to collect their inventory list, then the second, when he got to the third truck Monica stepped out of the driver’s seat with a grim look on her face. “Everything alright?” he asked her, a heavy stone already settling in his stomach.

She just shook her head and took the clipboard from Ignis, handing it off to another driver to finish the inventory. Ignis saw blood smeared around the edges of her fingernails and sleeves. Taking him by the shoulder she guided him away from the trucks. “Ignis… I’m so sorry.”

Ignis tried and failed to swallow past the lump in his throat. “What happened?”

“We were down by the Maidenwater and didn’t notice the sea devils until they were on top of us. We managed to take out three of them, but there were so many of them. The Alpha came after our trucks and Devon managed to take it out with his spear, but…” She reached into her pocket and slipped something metallic into Ignis’ hands. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Standing there paralyzed for what felt like an eternity, Ignis managed to look down and open his hand, revealing bloodied dog tags with the name Devon Valentine stamped into them.

He didn’t remember saying anything to Monica after that, nor the trip back up to the apartment. Ignis wasn’t even fully aware where he was until he found himself in the bathroom washing the dried blood off his hands from the tags. He washed those too before hanging them up on the edge of the mirror before turning and heading back to the kitchen. It was roughly dinner time anyway.

Taking the anak steak out of the refrigerator, he unwrapped it and put it on the broiler pan before seasoning it with salt and pepper and preheating the oven. Retrieving the potatoes and onions from the pantry he reminded himself that they needed more garlic powder next time he got a chance to go shopping for it. He peeled and chopped the potatoes before putting them into a pot of water and placing it on the oven.

Turning the dial to light the stove the ignition clicked and clicked and clicked, but no flame came. Crouching down Ignis looked closer before trying another burner and another. Opening the oven and reaching in he found it as cold and still as the rest of the room.

The propane tank for the building must have run out again.

Ignis stood up, hands on the counter on either side of the steak, staring at it. He could put it in the fridge and save it for later, but who knows when the gas would come back on. If he froze it again it would damage the cellular structure and it wouldn’t be able to hold flavor and juice as well. Besides, he’d already seasoned it and…and…

Picking up the broiler pan in one hand he hurled it across the room. The pan dented the sheetrock as the steak hit the wall with a wet slap and slid down behind the television. He threw the pot of potatoes next, dousing the floor and scattering the sliced tubers everywhere.

Running his arm along the length of the countertop he cleared it of the vase holding all their extra wooden spoons and spatulas. It shattered on the floor scattering glass and utensils everywhere. The salt and pepper shakers were next, though both managed to survive the fall.

Next was the metal kettle, full of water, hurled at the apartment door and denting both.

The cutting board and knife were last. Whipped like a discus and missing the far window by an inch.

Lacking anything else to destroy Ignis briefly considered opening the cabinets and shattering their contents too, but he suddenly realized he was bleeding. A long gash ran the length of his right palm, dripping red all over the counter and floor.

Reflexively he ran the water in the sink on cold, barely feeling the pain as he rinsed the flowing wound. It was deep and would probably need stitches.

Turning the water off he grabbed a dish cloth and wrapped it around his hand, clenching his fingers into a fist as the red spread throughout the white fabric.

Emotionally exhausted, he leaned against the refrigerator and slid down it’s length until he sat on the linoleum floor. There, he began to sob.

~

Two days later, Gladio and Prompto arrived in Lestallum.

Gladio had gotten a voice mail from Monica instead of a text, which was an indicator something bad had happened already. She filled them in on what had happened with Devon and how dead-eyed Ignis was when she broke the news to him. The lack of emotion he showed concerned her, especially since she knew he was going back to the apartment alone.

He’d called Prompto as soon as he hung up with Monica. Unfortunately, both of them were pretty far away from the city when they got the news. Prompto was out near Hammerhead and Gladio was in Cape Caem.

Gladio took the risk and took a chocobo alone, resting more for the bird’s sake than his own before continuing through the darkness. Weighing his options, between thieves on the roads or daemons in the woods, he opted for the woods and took a more direct route. Thankfully the Six were with him and he only ran into a few troubling fauna and a pair of lower level flan on the way.

Prompto’s motorcycle was being repaired after being swiped by a red giants sword the previous week, so the gunslinger had just stuck his thumb out to the next west bound truck and kept his fingers crossed that he was among reputable company.

The Astrals must have been with them (for a change) as they arrived at the main gate to Lestallum within minutes of each other.

“Gladio, hold up,” Prompto called as he caught up with him on the street to their apartment. He patted the larger man on the back when he reached him. “Hey, glad you made it safe.”

“You too.”

“Any new news?”

“No, I was just about to head up.” Gladio swallowed and unlocked the heavy exterior door, letting them both in. “I’m glad you’re here. Other than comforting Iris I’m not very good at this.”

The blonde just nodded, lacking anything else to say. Ignis was always the one so put together between the four of them, but now that _he_ needed _them_ it seemed almost backwards.

By the time they reached their floor it was clear that something was wrong. The worn carpet in the hallway just outside their apartment was soaked, squelching beneath their feet when they stepped on it. That combined with the smell of rotting flesh turned them both on high alert. Fumbling with his keys, Gladio managed to get the door open and they both froze.

The apartment was covered in broken glass and the stench of rot permeated every corner. There was blood all over the counter and the floor of the kitchenette.

“Ignis!” Prompto called out, but there was no answer. He dashed to the bathroom first and threw open the door, praying to the gods he didn’t find the strategist in the tub. He let out a sigh of relief when he found the room empty.

Gladio made his way to the bedroom and threw open the door. The blinds were drawn, shielding any exterior light, but he could make out the faint outline of a body swaddled in the blankets. He took a few cautious steps toward the bed, afraid at what he might find. “Ignis?”

There was a shift and Ignis pulled the blankets further over his head. Gladio let out a sigh of relief that there was at least movement. He reached out and rubbed Ignis’ back through the comforter. “Hey, Iggy… You alright?” As soon as he asked it he kicked himself. Of course he wasn’t alright.

Ignis didn’t respond. He just curled into a tighter ball.

“Well… Prom and I are here for you. We’re gonna clean up. Can we get you anything?”

Ignis cleared his throat. “I could use some water.”

Gladio just looked over his shoulder, but Prompto was already on it. “There was blood everywhere. Are you hurt?”

Ignis rolled over to face him and extended his arm from his cocoon. His hand was wrapped in gauze and thankfully smelled of ointment instead of the rot from the main room. “I was out of potions and couldn’t…I couldn’t focus enough for a spell.”

Now that was saying something. Ignis could use magic almost as easily as he could breathe. This was bad.

Gladio was never good at magic except basic pick-up boosts of healing when in the field while they were in the heat of battle, but hopefully he could at least do this. Closing Ignis’ hand with his own he focused and felt the tingle of the kings magic flow lightly through his fingers for a moment. When he was done he unwrapped the gauze and was glad to see only a small scab running the length of the slice. It would leave a scar, but at least it wouldn’t get infected.

Prompto brought in the water and put it down on the end table. “I’m gonna start cleaning up. I think I found what was making the smell.”

“I’ll help.” Gladio squeezed Ignis’ injured hand lightly and was happy to get a faint squeeze in return. “We’ll leave you alone, but we’re not going anywhere. Shout if you need anything.”

Leaving the bedroom with the door cracked they started cleaning up. Sweeping up the glass they piled it into the ruined area rug along with the soggy potatoes and rotten steak that they scraped off the floor behind the television. After clearing most of the floor they gave it a thorough vacuum and scrub to be sure they got as much glass and food as they could. Prompto wiped the blood from the steak off the wall and made a mental note to get some paint to cover the brown streak on the plaster.

It took opening all the windows and half a bottle of cleaning agent to get the smell out of the small apartment.

Gladio inspected the contents of the fridge and pantry, making a list of what they needed. “Hey, Prom. Could you keep an eye on Iggy for a little bit? I’m gonna run down to the trading post and see what I can get for food.”

“Alright… I’m gonna try and whip up something. I’m starved.”

“Same. Be back soon,” he said before closing the door.

~

Three days passed and Ignis barely got out of bed other than to use the bathroom. Gladio and Prompto kept replenishing his glass of water on the end table and bringing him small plates of food or soup. Sometimes the plate was as they’d left it when they checked on him, hours later. Sometimes there was a spoonful of rice or a bite taken out of a slice of toast, but not much more.

Ignis awoke on the fourth day, his eyes still puffy and raw from crying, to the sound of a pan and sizzling. He rolled himself out of bed, not bothering to put on his glasses as he padded his way to the kitchen.

Prompto was at the stove making something that might have been an omelet in a different life, but Ignis could already smell it burning. Looking over his shoulder, Prompto gave him a cautious smile. “Hey, Iggy. Just making breakfast. Can I get you anything?”

Ignis made his way into the small kitchen and cringed when he looked down at the contents of the pan. “Prompto… you know you’re not supposed to use metal utensils in a non-stick pan. Correct?”

Prompto bit his lip before looking guiltily at the metal spatula and back down to the destroyed enamel of the once black pan. “Oh… that explains a bit.”

Ignis reached over and turned off the range before dumping the eggs into the trash and put the pan in the sink to soak. He’d probably have to throw it out later.

Part of him wanted to snap at the younger man. Eggs and good cooking hardware were becoming precious commodities in the world as it is, but remembering his own tantrum from a few days ago he withheld his comment about wasting food. He was as guilty as any and they were only trying to help.

Looking up he noticed the hurt expression Prompto was trying to hide. He did, after all, just throw out the food he was making. “Apologies for… That was rude of me.”

“A little. Yeah.” Prompto said, but smiled. “But we can all get a little snippy sometimes. You have good reason.”

Ignis nodded, leaning back onto the counter. “Where’s Gladio?”

“Buying a new broiler pan. I’ll text him to get a frying pan too, if he can find one.”

“Thank you.”

There was a long silence between the two of them. It had been months since either Prompto or Gladio had stayed at the apartment, and now that the two of them were there and Devon wasn’t it felt…awkward. Ignis knew it shouldn’t, but it did.

“Tell you what,” Prompto said, breaking the silence. “When Gladio gets back we’ll order some food from the vendor down the block and when you’re feeling up to it you can show me how to cook a proper egg or whatever else you feel like eating. Unless you’d rather eat Gladio’s noodles or burnt toast for the rest of the week.”

Something light flickered inside Ignis at the thought of teaching someone how to cook. To teach anyone _anything_ again. Prompto beamed at him with a smile that made him remember what it felt like to feel the sun on his face. He gave a small smile. “That sounds like a fine idea.”

“There’s our Iggy. I knew you were in there somewhere.” Prompto’s smile broadened before he stood on his toes and gave Ignis a light kiss on the forehead. Ignis didn’t really have time to process the unexpected affection before Prompto was making his way across the apartment to the bathroom. “But first thing’s first. I’m running you a bath. Where do you keep the good soap?”

Rubbing his eyes, Ignis groaned. “Prompto, a bath really isn’t necessary. Besides we should be conserving water and-”

“Iggy,” Prompto said, poking his head out of the bathroom. The hot water was already running. “You haven’t showered in days and, honestly, you _stink_. You are taking a bath.”

Frowning, Ignis pulled up his shirt to his nose, making a face when his own odor hit him. He did smell rather ripe.

“Yeah, I told you.” Prompto smirked. “So, where’s the good soap? The one with the little lavender bits in it.”

Wondering if this was what he sounded like years ago, nagging at Noctis to eat his vegetables, Ignis sighed. If they were here to take care of him, he might as well let them take care of him. “The soaps under the sink.”

 

~X~X~X

Gods, I’m so sorry Iggy. Why am I torturing my boys so? This all has a point to it, I promise.

Comments are always appreciated. Anything you guys liked or disliked? What would you like to see in future chapters? Let me know.

Also, happy 2018 everyone!


	5. Eskibros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio are stuck in the apartment due to a surprising snowstorm in Lestallum. Breaking out old movies and alcohol for the occasion, the three of them talk about everything, nothing, and their shared experiences with a certain prince. 
> 
> (I've been stuck in my house all day. You can blame blizzard Grayson for this chapter.)

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 5 – NSFW

~3.4 years~

 

“Snow in Lestallum,” said Gladio wistfully as he looked out onto the icy flakes stick to the window ledge of their apartment. “Never thought I’d see it.”

Prompto peeked through the barrel of his disassembled gun and rubbed some cleaner through it. “Think it has anything to do with the huge ice flan we took out last week? Never seen one that big.”

“Unlikely,” Ignis said, emerging from the bedroom wearing a maroon sweater so hideous that it came back charming on the other end. That combined with the short beard he’d been growing out since Devon’s death gave him the look of a model from an outdoor catalog.

Prompto looked up from his gun and snorted. “Iggy, where did you get that thing?”

Ignis ran his fingers along the lower hem of it without shame. “Iris made it for me. I hope you like it because she was asking about your dimensions last I spoke to her. You may have one in your future too.”

Rolling his eyes, Prompto went back to cleaning his gun. “How is Iris doing anyway? I haven’t seen her since… When was it?”

“Just before the bridge job,” Gladio added with mild bitterness. They’d escorted and guarded a group of workers who had to repair the partially damaged bridge near the disks. Iris had met them at the truck and begged Gladio to let her come along. She said she’d been training with Cor and she wanted to show him what she could do. Surprising to both Prompto and Ignis, Gladio had told her no, that it wasn’t safe and she wasn’t ready. This apparently hadn’t been the first time she’d asked. The siblings argued about it loudly for several minutes, full of exasperated hand gestures and clenched teeth (something Ignis had seen in Clarus a few times) until Iris stormed off in a huff.

None of them had brought up the event since. They all knew Iris was an Amicitia and a skilled fighter, albeit inexperienced. But she was Gladio’s sister and they sure as Six weren’t going to get in the middle of that fight.

Gladio was wearing a thick sweater too. Green and plush and definitely not made by teenage hands.

A gust of wind blew down the alley that ran the length of their building, causing the curtains on the inside of the window flutter. These old buildings were not built to insulate wind and cold. Not by a long shot.

Thankfully, a lot of local municipal buildings had opened their doors to the refugees. Providing a shelter from the cold along with some food and comfort. That’s where Iris was right now, doling out second hand coats and hot soup. Gladio might be there too, if she weren’t still mad at him.

With the impending snowstorm and an utter lack of plows to clear the roads, all non-critical traffic in and out of the city was halted. No hunts. No bounties. No shipments.

Which was why the three of them were stuck inside the apartment, fidgeting uncomfortably at the lack of activity. Over the past few months, once Ignis was willing to get back to the real world, they’d become somewhat of a team again. They’d even taken on a few bounties (like the ice flan) that a lot of the local hunters had avoided. Ignis’ skill with magic had come in very handy and granted them enough funds to buffer their bank accounts for a little while.

Reassembling his gun and banishing it in to the armiger, Prompto put his cleaning kit away and clapped his hands together loud enough for the other two to turn and look at him. “Alright, I can’t take it anymore. If we’re going to be stuck in here for a few days I’m giving you your Solstice presents early.”

Ignis looked up from the tea he was sipping. “Prompto, you didn’t need to get anything.”

“Too late,” he said as he reached under his futon for his pack. Unzipping it he first pulled out something that looked like a computer tower, but older. It wasn’t until Gladio got a look at the rectangular flap in the front of it did he laugh and say, “Prom is that seriously a VCR?”

“You bet!” He beamed at them as he placed it alongside the television. “I got these too.” He reached back into his pack and produced a few tapes, reading them off as he did. “So, do you guys feel like watching a buddy cop comedy, killer robot time travel action, shapeshifting monster in the Arctic, heroes on the half shell, Irish brother vigilantes, or stop-motion holiday combo?”

Ignis picked one of the tapes up and looked at it as if it were an artifact. “Assuming they work, I think you should pick. I haven’t seen most of these.”

Gladio held up the movie with the two brothers on the cover. “I love this one, but you get first dibs, Chocobo.”

“Fine, let’s start with this one then.” He held up the mixed holiday movie. “Tis the season.”

While Prompto set up the movie, trying to figure out how to hook up the twenty-year-old technology to the flat screen, Ignis went into his room and got the gifts he’d found for the two of them. “I’m afraid I haven’t wrapped them yet, but since we’re starting early… Happy Solstice.” He handed Gladio a thick, hardcover.

Gladio’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “I can’t believe you found a copy.”

Scratching his beard thoughtfully, Ignis smiled. “It took some searching, but it is a popular novel. The previous owner didn’t want to part with it.” Smirking to himself, he poked Gladio’s side. “A little bird told me you were looking for it. I never struck you as the romantic novel type.”

Gladio patted Ignis’ back and smiled. “Don’t judge me. It’s a classic.”  He put it down on the end table. “I got something for you guys too, but I gotta be honest, it’s for me a little bit too.” Making his way to the kitchen, he pulled down the clay cookie jar off the top of the fridge that they hadn’t used in forever and opened it, producing a large bottle with a black label. “Hey, Prom, now’s the time to make a joke that she’s legal.”

Looking up from behind the television, Prompto whistled. “How long you been keeping that stashed up there, Big Guy?”

“Few weeks.”

Ignis rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I think I drink too much in the company of you two. You’re a terrible influence.”

Gladio put the bottle down on the counter. “Well, if you’re so self-conscious about it, Prom and I can enjoy it and you can babysit.”

He gave the shield a wry smirk. “Well now, I never said _that_.”

Gladio opened the cabinet and fished out three glasses. “Prompto, want some?”

The blonde finished fiddling with the cables and found the right channel to get the VCR going. “How about we make a game of it?”

“How so?” Ignis asked.

“Well…” he held up the stop motion movie. “I haven’t seen this, but I’m willing to bet there’ll be some singing involved. Why don’t we drink every time they start a new song?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Gladio poured three drinks. “That sounds like a disastrous idea. I’m in.”

While Prompto was sliding the movie in Ignis produced a long charcoal colored feather from his hip pocket and handed it to him. “This is for you.”

Prompto looked up at it for a moment before taking it. He gave it a once over in his fingers. The tip of the pin was a twist of bronze and a sharp tapered edge. “Is this a quill?”

Ignis nodded. “I looked up how to make one earlier this year. Wiz came by and he had that with him. He said that the black chocobo chick we rescued years back was molting. They don’t lose primary feathers often.” Ignis shrugged. “So, he says.”

Prompto beamed, and tucked it behind his ear in the wedge between his hair and glasses (which he still wore every now and then). “Thanks, Iggy.”

The strategist smiled. “Thank you two as well.” He looked between them. “Holidays have always been a… trying time for me. It’s nice to have company for a change.”

Hopping on to the middle of the well-loved futon, Prompto hit play on the movie. “No problem.”

Gladio held up his drink. “Happy to be here.”

They all clinked glasses together and sat back as the opening credits rolled.

~

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to drink every time they sang in an animated holiday movie. By the time the final credits rolled and Gladio put in the second movie involving the vigilante brothers, the room had a definitive wobble to it.

A devilish smirk crossed Gladio’s face as the opening music started playing. “I got an idea. How bout instead of music, this time we drink every time someone either dies or drops the f-bomb. Which would you two prefer?”

Ignis rested his head on his hand, already a little heavy. He read the back of the box the movie came in. “Well, if the description is anything to go by, I’m going to lean toward the cursing.”

“I trust Iggy on this one.” Prompto said, slurring only slightly.

Gladio’s grin widened. “Oooookay. If you say so. Pick which character you want. I’ll take the detective.”

About a half hour into the movie Prompto’s character was spouting off, _‘Fuckin’- What the fuckin’? Fuck. Who the fuck fucked this fucking… How did you two fucking fucks… Fuck!’_

Another character laughed. _‘Well… Certainly illustrates the diversity of the word.’_

The blonde finished his drink and slowly slid the glass away from him before getting up for a tall glass of water. “That’s it, enough booze for me.” He wobbled on his feet when he stood. “I’m gonna get alcohol poisoning.”

 “I’m inclined to agree.” Ignis put his empty glass down. “Gladio is clearly trying to kill us.” He turned toward the shield and asked with an air of insinuation and slurred only slightly. “Did you intend to kill us? If you wanted the apartment for yourself you should have just said so.”

Gladio shook his head and put his own empty glass down. “Course not. I’ve just never seen Prompto drunk before and was wondering what it would take. Clearly, it’s a lot. Kid can hold his liquor.”

Chugging some water, Prompto sat back down and tilted slightly before Ignis pushed him back upright with one finger. “Thank the high metabolizzzzmm.”

They watched the movie for a while longer until the main characters were taking out an upper level mob peon in a strip club. The whole scene was full of violence and gratuitous close up tit shots.

Ignis sighed. “Gladio, this movie is awful.”

Prompto chuckled. “I like it.”

“C’mon Iggy. It’s a cult classic.” Gladio spouted defensively. “Besides, it’s not like anyone in this room is virginal. So, what if there’s a few tits on the screen?”

“I meant the plot.” Ignis closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the futon. He’d had quite a lot to drink and it was getting late.

“Noct would have loved it,” Prompto said, smiling.

Gladio nodded in agreement. “Yeah, well he wasn’t exactly virginal either.”

Both Ignis and Prompto’s necks spun toward Gladio so fast one might have heard a whip crack.

Ignis blinked hard, as if that would clarify what he’d just heard. “And how would you know?”

Freezing like a deer in headlights, Gladio slowly diverted his gaze back to his drink and pretended it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

There was a long silence between them before Prompto finally said, “How did you know?”

Now it was Prompto’s turn to be the center of attention.

“Prompto…” Ignis said, taking a deep breath. “Don’t tell me…”

The gunslinger nodded slowly. “I mean…yeah. We tried to hide it really well. It’s just…” The shocked expressions of his two counterparts finally sank through the layer of inebriation. “Aww hell, I just ratted myself out. Didn’t I?”

“Yep.”

“How did…” Ignis asked, seemingly trying to reign in his own sobriety for the question. “When did this relationship start?”

“Ummm… When we were sixteen.” Prompto leaned back against the cushion as he spoke. Since the chocobo was already out of the barn and all… “It was a few months after we started hanging out. We were watching TV and I really was into this medical drama so Noct would watch it with me in between videogames. I think he was just being nice because he was super squeamish whenever actual medical stuff like surgery or big injuries were on the screen. He’d end up hiding his face in my chest until it was over. One day when we were watching a marathon of it I worked up the nerve and just kissed him when he leaned close. It just… kinda went from there. I mean, for a few years we didn’t do more than make-out and a few hand jobs… We did end up having sex a few weeks after his eighteenth birthday though.”

Gladio pat his back. “So, you’re the one who de-flowered the Chosen King. Congrats.”

Ignis cleared his throat. “Not… Not exactly.”

The shield whistled. “I was wondering who did it. Bravo Ignis. Didn’t know you had it in you. Did Regis know?”

A blush that was not at all from the alcohol flooded Ignis’ face. “His Majesty most certainly _did_ _not_ know. We were very discrete.”

“When did it happen?” Prompto asked.

Ignis swallowed. “I’m… I’m sorry to say it was the day after his eighteenth birthday. Prompto, I can’t apologize enough. Had I known you two were dating I would haven never-”

Prompto waved his hands to stop him. “Dude. It’s ok. We were never actually _dating_. I mean, we couldn’t if we wanted to. The council would probably have me executed if they knew a lowly plebe like me was making out with the crown prince behind the bleachers at school. It was more a… really good friends-with-benefits thing.” Thankfully Ignis’ apologetic expression faded, but the embarrassment remained. “Go on. Keep going with the story. I’m _dying_ to hear Gladio’s next.”

“What makes you think I have a story?” Gladio said, still looking down at his empty drink.

Prompto slid down so that he was sprawled across the larger man’s lap. “I know because you’re flustered. You never get flustered.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “But Iggy first. Go on, Specks.”

Ignis looked at the ceiling and took a slow breath. “You two are going to be the death of me. I swear it.” He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I was tidying up the apartment after his party. The usual, affair of collapsing pizza boxes and wiping various dips off the counter top. Noctis walked out of his room in his sleep wear late in the morning and sat down on the couch. He asked if he could ask me a question, very serious and quiet, and for a moment I thought something was wrong. I stopped what I was doing and sat down with him. He looked up at me, very serious, and asked if I’d ever had sex with a man before.”

Prompto snorted.

Gladio smirked. “Kid never was one to dance around a topic.”

“I told him I had, but I wasn’t exactly a professional on the subject. He asked what the process was and said that porn made it look so easy. I explained that adult cinema gave quite a lot of artistic license to the act and there was probably a great deal of preparation before the cameras started rolling.” Ignis smiled slightly. “I’d never seen him so interested in a topic before.

“When I finished explaining he just looked at me and asked if I could show him.”

Prompto shifted his foot and rubbed Ignis’ knee appreciatively from his position. “Well, whatever you taught him Specks, he paid attention. Thanks heaps.”

“What do you mean?”

The younger man was now practically sprawled across the two of them with his eyes closed. It was awkward on the small futon, but nobody was about to make him move. “You’re gonna laugh, but we tried having sex a bit before his birthday… Maybe a week before. It got all hot and heavy and we went to close the deal and Noct made me stop. Said it hurt. So, we swapped to see if that would work, but no, that hurt too. It was super awkward.” He chuckled. “About a month later though, Noct wanted to give it a try again. He was all gung-ho about it and, yeah, whatever you taught him you did good.” He clapped slowly.

Ignis tapped Prompto’s shin on his lap. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

“Who topped?” Gladio asked.

Ignis smacked his shoulder. “Gladio!”

“Both,” Prompto said, unashamed. “Why do you care?” He opened one eye and winked at him.

Even Ignis had to smile at the shields awkwardness. He’d never seen this side of Gladio before. It was endearing, despite the topic at hand. “Jealous?”

“A tiny bit, yeah.” He finally put his empty drink aside. “But let’s be fair, if I was his first I might have broken him.”

Prompto just nodded from his lap.

There was a silence while the other two waited for him to continue. They’d shown their cards. It was his turn.

Gladio ran his fingers through his hair. “For the record, he’s gonna kill me for telling you.”

“Well now I _really_ want to hear what happened.” Prompto smirked up at him.

He grumbled. “It first started about a year before the road trip. We were training and he was being an indignant little shit, so I was giving him shit back to get him to pick his ass up off the floor and listen to what I was trying to teach him. At some point he got frustrated and yelled ‘suck my royal dick, Gladio,’ and I told him that if he actually managed to beat me in the ring, I would, but if I won it went both ways.”

“Yeah, that sounds like something he’d say.”

“I was joking!” Gladio said, defensively. “He’s the fucking prince! My dad would absolutely murder me if he even heard me talk to him like that.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Ignis reassured him.

“Anyway, long story short I beat him. He still wasn’t listening and ended up going stasis and I knocked him on his ass. Later, after the showers I was walking through the locker room in just a towel and he says ‘Alright, I lost, let’s do this’. Meanwhile I’m thinking he’s just playing chicken. There’s no way he’s serious, so I played along and stood in front of him. I swear to the Six I thought he was going to chicken out and laugh it off. I wasn’t going to hold him to that sort of thing. I’d never even kissed a guy before let alone… Anyway, next thing I know he’s pulling my towel off and… fuck he was good at it. Really good.” He leaned back and rubbed his face with both hands. “I don’t know which one of you taught him that, but it just snowballed from there.”

Prompto laughed loudly.

“Not that kind of _snowball_ , you sicko!” He covered Prompto’s mouth as he continued to laugh. “So… yeah. We kept making bets like that every now and then when we sparred. Honestly, I think he started losing on purpose sometimes. We ended up having to get a lock for the inside of the storage locker after a while.”

There was a lingering silence between them before Ignis finally said, “Did anything happen with you two and His Highness after the road trip started?”

Prompto made an ‘are you serious, of course it did’ face. “Well, yeah, I mean… We tried to be quiet in the tent-”

Gladio grumbled. “And here I thought I was hearing things. Prom, what the shit? We were _right there_.”

“Well I mean, there was that one time we snuck off to the Regalia when we were ‘taking pictures’.” He used air quotes.

Ignis looked at him affronted. “Prompto…”

“We cleaned up the mess!”

Ignis went to adjust his glasses, but realized he’d already removed them. “I suppose I’m guilty too. We stole a few moments in Galdin Quay and again in Cape Caem… and Altissia. Though we never did anything in the car. We did have _some_ decorum.”

“What about you, Big Guy?” Prompto could feel the affects of the conversation on Gladio behind his head. He shifted his position innocently enough, applying some pressure to the flesh he was resting on.

Gladio bit his lip. “There were a few times when we went off fishing, just the two of us, and that one time when I got back from the trials with Cor, when we got separate rooms at the Leville.”

“Heathens,” Ignis said, exasperated, “All of us.”

“No… that’s not the word.” Prompto said. “What’s that term they use for multiple guys who have been with the same person? Eskimo Brothers?” He snorted. “ _Eskibros.”_

Gladio laughed. Ignis looked horrified. “Prompto, I will give you every gil I have to never use that term again.”

Prompto shook his head, innocently digging it a little harder into Gladio’s erection hidden beneath his hair. “No deal. It’s too good.”

Finally, Gladio had to not so subtly grab Prompto’s hair to stop him from moving. The action sent an unintentional jolt down Prompto’s own core.

Ignis, as drunk as he was, couldn’t miss the look that passed between the shield and gunslinger. He’d suspected something might be going on between them, lingering touches and flirtatious banter and all, but the vibe that had shifted in the room all but confirmed it. Pretending to be blissfully ignorant, Ignis slid Prompto’s legs off his lap and stood up. “Well, I think we’ll have to finish this delightful conversation some other time. Don’t be up too late, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of snow to shovel first thing in the morning.”

Neither one of the other men moved, but they both bid him a goodnight for the evening.

An instant later Ignis disappeared into his room, closing the door quietly behind him. Gladio let go of the blonde’s hair. “Prom, what the hell are you doing?”

He smirked up at him. “Fluffing my pillow.”

“Ignis was right. You are incorrigible.”

Prompto shifted his weight so that he rested on Gladio’s thigh, facing him. “What can I say? The thought of you plowing Noct into a pile of gym mats turned me on. He was always an enthusiastic bottom.”

Gladio smirked, his fingers running through spiked blonde locks in a different way. “Well… He won sparring matches every now and then too.”

Picking his head up, Prompto looked up at the larger man wide-eyed. “Seriously?”

“Seriously, what?”

With a bit more enthusiasm than Gladio wanted to hear, Prompto blurted, “ _You_ botto-” Gladio put a hand across Prompto’s mouth.

“Mind keeping it down? Not that I care if you and Iggy know, but these walls are thin. I don’t need the neighbors giving me looks in the morning. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.” Gladio moved his hand as Prompto sat up, giving him a look he’d only seen in passing a few times since the incident at Hammerhead. That time had been a moment of weakness and a much-needed release for them both for multiple reasons. Now, the need floated back to the surface, stoked by the alcohol and talks of shared experiences.

Shifting their weight on the futon, Prompto ended up between Gladio’s legs on top of him. His fingers slowly making their way up the larger man’s sweater as Gladio got a firm grip of his ass, pulling him closer. “I got supplies handy this time. In case you’re interested.”

A deep rumble emanated from Gladio’s chest as Prompto ground down into him. “Iggy might hear.”

Prompto chuckled and leaned in for a kiss. Gladio only grabbed onto his ass harder and pulled him close, grinding their cocks together beneath denim. Breaking the kiss Prompto whispered, “It’ll be just like old times then. Just pretend we’re in the tent. First one to wake Ignis loses… Unless you want him to hear.”

Gladio gasped as skilled fingers found his nipples and pinched.

~

Ignis couldn’t sleep.

It probably didn’t help that their talk revealed a whole multitude of things Ignis had never known about their prince and associates. Honestly, he was surprised he hadn’t noticed it himself. He’d always prided himself on his observational skills, and yet he’d missed something enormous in Noctis’ life. Two big somethings.

Surprisingly he wasn’t jealous. He lay there in his bed staring at the ceiling, waiting the green-eyed monster to rear its ugly head, but it never did. In some ways he was impressed at Noct’s ability to keep such a large secret.

Ignis understood why, of course. If anyone so much as heard a whisper of the prince having relations with his retainers it would be all over the media, the council would know, and it would be possible for Ignis and Gladio’s positions working with Noct to be in jeopardy. As unfortunate as it was, Prompto was correct too. The council would have never stood for the prince’s fraternization with a ‘plebe’, as Prompto oft referred to himself as. Even Regis, early in his reign, had just barely gotten away with marrying his childhood friend, Auela.

Ignis also understood that his relationship with Devon, as wonderful as it was, was his poor attempt to replace Noctis in his life. It wasn’t even just the sex (which was quite good), but the companionship and being a voice of reason for someone again. Even if Devon rarely listened when Ignis told him to be careful or to eat healthy, it was the mornings that Ignis woke up next to him and saw the silhouette of him in bed next to him that he could dream. That he could imagine it was Noctis next to him, with his arm draped across his middle in blissful slumber. That they wouldn’t have to rush out of bed or worry that someone could catch them.

It was a dream, and Ignis still felt guilty that he’d essentially used Devon to fill it.

Now that he was gone, Ignis was alone again in his dark sheets again. Just him and his thoughts.

There was a moan from the other room.

Okay, well… maybe not completely alone.

The sound of the futon frame squeaking at slow intervals itself was easy enough to ignore. He heard the other tenants of the building carry on with their business at all hours and it was never anything he couldn’t ignore after years of being in Lestallum.

The whispers he heard from the other room, that was something else entirely.

_“Fuck… Gladio, when was the last time you did this? You’re crazy tight.”_

A gasp. A moan. _“Not since Princess. Shit, slow down.”_

_“You want to top? We can still switch.”_

_“Nah, I’m good. Just… been a while.”_ There was a shift of position and the metal frame scratched against the wood floor. _“That’s better.”_

Slowly, the pace increased until gasps and moaned began do more than keep Ignis awake. As if picturing his two closest associates having sex wasn’t alluring enough (he couldn’t deny it, they were both very attractive men), but knowing that Gladio was on the _receiving_ end of Prompto… Even in his fantasies he hadn’t even considered that. The new material in his mind’s eye blew oxygen on to the fire that had lain dormant for the past few months.

With only a small amount of shame at what he was doing, Ignis threw his blankets aside and slid his hand below the waist band of his sleep pants and took his hard member in his hand. Giving it a few lazy tugs, he smeared the bead of precum along the head and closed his eyes, focusing on the staccato of breath that was rapidly increasing in pace from the other room.

He increased his own movements to match them, briefly thinking of Prompto and Noct, inches from them in the tent with their hands down the other’s pants, or Gladio in the storage room, with Noctis bent over the weapons rack as he plowed into him.

Lastly, he pictured the scene going on just beyond the thin layer of sheetrock and insulation. By now the futon frame was banging against the wall hard enough that Ignis wondered for an instant if they would need to buy plaster repair it. The sound of wet smacking and moans became erratic as they careened toward their climax.

_“Fuck…Gladdy, I’m close.”_

_“Don’t stop.”_

Ignis beat them there.

He might have feared that they heard his gasp as his own orgasm surprising him, but the two of them were apparently quite vocal when they climaxed, drowning him out.

Cleaning himself off with the tissues on his end table, Ignis listened as the bathroom door opened and water started running in the shower. Beneath the sound of water he could hear words exchanged between the others, but he couldn’t make them out.

Still mildly drunk and basking in a light orgasmic warmth, Ignis tucked himself back into bed and began to drift off to sleep. The thought that his relationship with the other two was forever lit in a different colored light was the last thing he thought of before slumber slowly dragged him under.

 

~X~X~X~

God damn. Sorry this chapter took so long. Humor, smut, guilt, and more smut is tough to cram into one chapter, but I must admit I laughed aloud to myself a few times at ‘eskibros’. Thank you Urban Dictionary. XD

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this. It always help feed my muse and speeds along the next chapter. Thank you for reading.


	6. Shotgun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iggy gets a mustache and some other equally interesting things happen. ;)

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 6

~3.6 years~

 

“I think it’s about time for this to go,” Ignis said from the bathroom, running his fingers through his beard. It had been a little over six months since Devon had died and he’d wallowed in self-pity long enough for his sense of self presentation to come back.

“Whaaaattt?” Prompto said from the living room. “I was just getting used to it.”

“Yes, well, I’m sure you’ll manage.” He searched beneath the sink before he found Gladio’s buzzers that he used on the side of his head when he cut his own hair. It wasn’t the best tool for the job, but it was all they had other than his straight razor.

Poking his head into the bathroom, Prompto pouted. “Well… before you shave it all off, leave a ‘stache for a few minutes. I don’t think I’ll ever get the opportunity to see you with one again.”

Rolling his eyes, Ignis plugged the buzzers in. “If you insist, but then I’m shaving it all off immediately after.”

Prompto went back into the living room and occupied himself with the repair of one of Cid’s weapon upgrades. This time it was a modified version of the circular saw he used to use. The pieces were organized, but it still took up the brunt of the floor space in their small living room. So long as he cleaned up all the grease and didn’t leave it strewn about, Gladio and Ignis didn’t mind.

Cid was normally more than capable of doing the repairs and upgrades himself, but his eyes had been failing him over the past year and his hands weren’t as steady as they once were. So, between hunts and other odd jobs Prompto helped out. Cid appreciated someone around who knew machinery almost as well as Cindy did, and with his granddaughter all but running Hammerhead on her own it was good to have the help.  

Lost in his work, Prompto barely heard the door open and close behind him. It wasn’t until Gladio put the bag of groceries down on the counter did he turn around. “Hey Big Guy, get anything good?”

Gladio grumbled. “Slim pickings today. Mostly pickles, some beans, and a bag of barley.” There was some rummaging as he started putting them away. “Hope you like kimchi.”

Prompto sighed. “Remember that part in Treasure Island where Ben offers the kid his share of the treasure for some cheese?” His stomach grumbled at the memory. It had been months since he’d had any.

“Yeah… I’m getting to that point too.”

The bathroom door opened and Ignis emerged, draped just in a towel and still damp from the shower. “Well, if either of you are brave enough to milk a garula I’m willing to try and make an attempt at making some. Provided I can get some rennet of course.”

Both of them turned to him and froze at what they saw. True to his word Ignis had shaved off all of his beard but for the area above his lip and he even left a little bit on his chin to complete the look.

Prompto jumped up, making a distinctly un-manly sound as he did. “Iggy, I _love_ it! You gotta keep it like that.”

Ignis scoffed. “Absolutely not. Take a picture if you like, but I will not be walking around Lestallum looking like the fourth Musketeer.”

Gladio chuckled and closed the distance. He reached up and gently took Ignis by the chin, tilting his head to either direction to get a better look. Ignis knew the touch was casual to Gladio, but ever since the night he’d overheard him and Prompto together he’d been slowly growing more and more attracted to the two of them. Despite his better judgement.

They were always attractive men in their own right. Ignis had admired them from afar, masking his emotions with stern indifference. His duty was always to the Crown and Noctis only and he couldn’t afford any distractions. But now, Noctis wasn’t here. His duties hadn’t changed necessarily, they were just…postponed.

He barely contained a faint gasp as the larger man’s calloused thumb ran along his lower lip. Though the heat that crept up his neck came unrestrained. Hopefully he would be able to blame the flush on the heat of the shower.

“I don’t know,” said Gladio, “I like it. But I’m not sure if I should tell you it’s dashing or make fun of you for looking like a hipster.”

Ignis batted Gladio’s hand away and scoffed, covering up his own discomfort. “That’s rich coming from someone who’s had a mullet since high school.”

Gladio ran his fingers through his hair self-consciously. “It is _not_ a mullet.”

Prompto laughed. “Yeah, it kinda is.”

Gladio glared at him and was about to say something when his phone began to ring. Pulling it out of his pocket he raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. “It’s Iris.”

Both Prompto and Ignis looked at each other, but said nothing. The siblings hadn’t spoken to one another in months. Something was wrong.

“Hello?” Gladio answered.

Iris was yelling so loudly on the other end of the call everyone in the room could hear her. “ _Gladio, we need help. I was on a hunt with Cor-_

“What?!”

 _“Be mad at me later! We’re over by the disk, east of Lingagh Haven. There’s a group of civilians pinned down in a cave. There’s a huge white behemoth that keeps trying to get at them.”_ Cor shouted something in the distance. _“Gladio I’ve never seen one this big before. It hasn’t noticed us, but these civilians are done if we don’t help them. We need backup.”_

Ignis was already dashing into his room to get dressed. “Did she say a white behemoth?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said, clearing his tools from the trunk they’d been using as a coffee table and dragging it to the door. He dropped a few bags of fuel injector tubes and screws in the process, so he picked them up and tucked them in his cargo pocket to deal with later. “You think its him?”

Ignis nodded. “Dredd.” The hunters in the area had been talking about the albino Alpha Behemoth staling around the crater. Ignis had never seen it, but the stories he’d heard normally didn’t end well. He slid his shirt over his head and hoped to the six he had enough thunder based spells for the task. “Gladio, tell her not to engage.”

“Obviously!” Gladio spat as he helped Prompto down the stairs with his armory trunk.

_“What’s going on?”_

“We’re on our way. Stay hidden. I’ll call you when we’re close.”

_“Gotcha.”_

_~_

Cid would probably be mad later that Prompto stole his truck, but he still had the keys on him he would worry about the old mechanic yelling at him later.

Killing the lights as they approached, they parked behind a large rock outcropping and peeked above it. Even just by the light of the moon it was hard to miss the oversized beast prowling the edge of the ridge, maybe five hundred yards away.

Prompto swallowed and whispered. “I didn’t think he would be _that_ big. And since when do have wings?”

“Must be a mutation.” Ignis whispered beside him. “He can apparently cast ice attacks too, so be wary.”

Gladio was on the phone with his sister, whispering something neither of them could hear. After a while he hung up and crawled to the top of the rock with the rest of them. “Iris and Cor are gonna sneak in and evacuate the people if we can get the beast away from the cave. If anyone has any ideas as to how to do that, I’m all ears.”

Ignis chewed his lower lip, thinking, but Prompto said something first. “I might be able to cripple it. If you guys can get it to look this way I should be able to get a good shot in.”

As he spoke, the behemoth reared up on its hind legs and stomped down on the mouth of the cave. Several large boulders gave way, making the entry almost large enough for it to enter. Screams of panic echoed from within.

“Well, it’s now or never,” said Gladio, pulling his shield and sword from the armiger. Ignis did the same with his polearm while Prompto rummaged through his trunk that they’d brought with them. Setting up his sniper rifle on the edge of the rock and loaded it with a shell the size of his finger. Gladio watched, wide eyed. “Prom, where the hell did you get that thing?”

“Souvenir from The Keep.” He took the safety off and lined up his shot. “Ready?”

Ignis held a thundaga flask in his free hand and nodded. “Ready.”

“Ready.”

“Make some noise, Big Guy!”

Gladio stood up on the top of the rock, took a deep breath, and began to yell while banging the hilt of his sword against his shield.

Prompto watched through the night-vision scope as the beast turned toward the noise, it’s yellow eyes reflecting the dim moonlight at them. He slowly took a breath, lined up his shot, and fired.

The sound of the shot echoed off the disks an instant before the behemoth let out a roar they could feel in their chests. It thrashed about, pawing at its face as blood flowed down from the damaged eye. Prompto reloaded and lined up a second shot, but it was moving around too much to get the second eye. Instead, he aimed toward its center of mass and fired again.

The behemoth wailed again when the second shot hit its flank and turned toward the source, glaring at the three of them.

“I think you pissed it off,” said Gladio.

They could feel the ground quake as the beast charged. Prompto slid back down to the truck and threw the trunk open again. Pulling the rocket launcher out of his foam casing and loading the only grenade he had, he ran over to one side of the rock, got down on one knee, aimed, and fired.

The blast landed right at the behemoths feet, not a hundred yards from their position, kicking dust and debris high into the sky as the beast wailed.

Tossing the launcher back into the bed of the truck, Prompto pulled his handguns out of the armiger and ran off to the far side of the outcropping. They all hoped Cor and Iris were taking the opportunity to evacuate while they could.

There was a long silence as the dust began to settle and for a moment they suspected that they’d actually managed to down it. Alas, their hopes were cast aside as a double pair of horns began to emerge from the cloud of dust, followed by a tooth filled muzzle and a lone furious eye.

“Scatter!” Ignis called as he dove to one side, nearly missing the swing of the horns as they cleaved the top of the rock face away.

After that it was chaos. Ignis launched volley after volley of thunder spells at the beast, paying close attention to when it was about to release its own ice attack. It wasn’t doing as much damage as they’d hoped, but at least it seemed to break the beast’s concentration and slow it down for a moment. Prompto Continued firing from a distance, focusing on the flank since shots to the face kept getting deflected by the enormous horns. Gladio took up the most dangerous position behind its hind legs. Sure, he was doing some serious damage to the monster’s rear flank, but Ignis had to keep warning him when he was about to cast.

The fight went on for what felt like forever. There was no way to tell whether Iris and Core were clear of the area with the others, but even then, it wouldn’t be wise to leave such an enormous predator wandering the land. This would almost certainly happen again once the beast licked its wounds and went out for another stalk.

No, this had to end now.

Ignis was reaching a moment of almost zen he experienced during certain fights. The moment in battle when all the world started to go quiet and he could focus. The moment when he had total clarity of the situation.

Lightning sparked from his spear as Ignis focused in on the beasts chest. There was a small gap between the collar bone and throat when exposed should offer a direct line to the heart. If he could pierce it, it would all be over.

As if on cue, Gladio gave a mighty swing with his sword into the beast’s underbelly, causing the behemoth to rear its head up and shriek in pain. That was the moment.

Lining up Ignis thrust the elementally infused spear right at the soft juncture. All six feet of it disappeared into the beast’s body in a grotesque spurt of blood. The behemoth froze, seemingly trying to process what was happening before it wobbled on its feet, stumbled, and collapsed to the ground.

There was a moment where the three of them stood stock still, waiting for the creature to get back up as it had several times before. When they were fairly certain it was down, the three of them came together near the tip of its tail. They were all breathing hard and fatigued by the long fight. Even after so many hunts over the years this was still a rough endeavor.

Prompto banished his guns and whistled. “That was nuts.”

“Indeed.” Ignis gave a large sigh. “That was quite the marksmanship, Prompto. Well done.”

“Hell, yeah it was.” Gladio looked like he’d been singed around the edges by a wayward lightning spell, but overall didn’t seem any worse for wear.

A loud whistle sounded from the distance and they all turned toward it. A box truck laden with people parked along the hill and the passenger door opened and out tumbled Iris. “Oh, my gods you guys did it!” She yelled as she ran up to them.

Gladio smiled and Ignis honestly thought it was the happiest he’d looked in weeks. He banished his sword and took a step toward her.

Suddenly, Iris’ laughter morphed into a scream. “Gladio! Behind-”, but the warning came too late. With the behemoths last ounce of energy it began to flail in a death thrall. It’s tail, the thickness of an oak tree, whipped out and caught Gladio in his side, flinging him a good fifty feet away.

Ignis and Prompto barely managed to dodge its second pass before the beast stopped, twitched once more, and was still for good.

Iris got to her brother first with Cor on her heels. She was on her knees in the dirt next to his unmoving body. “Gladio? Gladdy!” He didn’t move. Tears were already streaming down her eyes. “Does anyone have a phoenix down?”

“I do.” Prompto reached into his cargo pocket. It was badly beaten up from years of wear and tear, but he handed it to her and held his breath.

She picked up Gladio’s limp hand and wrapped his fingers around it. The feather sparked, smoldered, and turned to ash as it bathed Gladio in a warm flicker of fire. They all waited as the seconds ticked away, but Gladio didn’t move. “Why isn’t it working?” Iris asked, her throat tight with panic.

Prompto was numb. Phoenix downs had never _not_ worked before. Ignis could see his hands shaking as he rubbed them together for lack of anything else to do.

For once, Ignis didn’t quite know what to do either. They had a few potions left in the truck, but if a down didn’t work…

Thankfully, the Immortal stepped in. “Iris, give me some space.”

Reluctantly she stepped back, but never let go of her big brother’s hand.

Leaning over Gladio’s body, Cor laid his head on his chest and listened. He moved from one side to the other and repeated the process before he sat up and pulled his knife out and started cutting the shirt away. “His chest is filling with blood. Does anyone have anything like a straw or a plastic pen? Anything.” Cor opened a flask and pulled out his pocket knife, dousing the blade along with one side of Gladio’s rapidly bruising chest.

Fumbling through his pockets, Prompto pulled out the new bag of fuel injector tubes he’d thrown in there on the way out the door. “Will this work?”

Cor was already ripping the bag open and dumping the strong-smelling liquor on them too. “If the Six are with us, they might.” Bending down he listened to Gladio’s chest one more time before sitting up, lining his knife up a few inches to the side of the shields nipple, and stabbed. Dark blood came pouring out of the wound as Cor fought to get the rubber tube into the incision. Once it was in he held it in place and waited.

The four of them stood there, waiting for something, anything to happen. Seconds ticked by as Prompto reached out and took Ignis’ hand in his, squeezing hard. Nobody said a word other than Iris muttering ‘ _please please please please’_ under her breath.

Suddenly, Gladio gave a crackling gasp for air and with it the tension shattered. He was alive, but barely.

Cor started giving orders. “Get him into your truck. Give him a potion to tide him over, but he needs a hospital or clots will start forming around his lungs.” Between the four of them they managed to get him to the vehicle and burst a potion over him. It evened out his breathing a little, but he didn’t wake up.

They still needed to get the civilians back to the city, but Iris wouldn’t leave her brother. “Ignis, get over here.”

He was at his side in the bed of the truck in an instant. “Yes, Sir.”

“Follow my truck back to Lestallum and prey we don’t come across any other daemons on the way. Here,” he positioned Ignis’ hand along the incision where the tube still protruded from between Gladio’s ribs. “Hold this here. Don’t let it come out. You know CPR?” Ignis nodded. “Good. Let’s hope we don’t have to use it. Chest compressions might kill him faster.”

Hopping out of the truck, Cor poked his head in the driver’s side window where Prompto was already starting the engine. “Take him to Saint Aerith Hospital. I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming. I’ll meet you there.”

~

Gladio’s first thought when he woke up was, “Fuck…” Absolutely everything hurt. His mouth was dry as the roads of Leide, and his sinuses itched from where the oxygen tube rubbed up his nostrils. He took a breath only to be halted by a shooting stab of pain in his side. Monitors and IV’s came and went from him in every direction. The left side of his chest was completely taped up and covered in gauze and bandages that pinched and tugged when he breathed too hard. Dim fluorescent lights hummed and occasionally ticked over his head as he tried to get a look of his surroundings.

A hospital room, clearly, but how long had he been here? What time was it? What happened? He sat there a moment and thought, trying to remember. They had been fighting a behemoth and killed it… At least he thought they did. He remembered hearing Iris scream his name. Where was she? “Iris?” His throat was gravel, but he called again. If something like this had happened to him it wasn’t to hard to think that someone else might have been hurt too. Or worse.

There was a shift in the corner of the room and Gladio turned his gaze toward the movement.

“Gladio. Thank the Six.” It was Ignis. “You were touch and go there for a while.” Gently sitting on the side of the bed Ignis squeezed his hand, causing the heart monitor on his finger to falter and beep angrily until he let go. 

Gladio’s hand felt cold the moment Ignis left it. In fact, the whole room felt cold. “Is everyone else alright?”

“Thankfully, yes. The behemoth got one last swipe at you before it died. If it weren’t for your sister and Cor you wouldn’t be with us right now.”

“Where is everyone?”

“Prompto just stepped out to get some breakfast. Cor had to leave on another escort, Iris, Prompto and myself have been rotating watch.” Ignis pulled out his phone and began texting. “Might as well let them know you’re awake.”

“How long have I been here?”

“Four days.”

Gladio groaned.

“Four broken ribs, hairline fracture on your collar bone, dislocated shoulder, concussion, whiplash, you lost a lot of blood and I think I heard the doctors mention that you’d almost ruptured your spleen. You’re lucky Iris was a willing blood donor. None of us matched your type.” There was a pause and in that moment he realized how exhausted the other man looked. How long had he been awake? “We nearly lost y-you, Gladiolus.”

Unable to hide his surprise at Ignis’ stuttered words he let the news sink in. A moment later he reached back out and took Ignis’ hand again and squeezed hard, be damned the monitors objections. They stayed there for a while before a shadow appeared in the door. They expected it to be a nurse checking on what machine was making all the noise, but it was Prompto instead. He was holding a bottle of water and looking relieved as ever.

“Hey, Big Guy.”

Gladio smiled weakly. “Hey, Chocobo.”

“How you feelin’?”

Groaning, Gladio tried to sit up a little straighter and winced at the shot of pain that laced through his side. “Like hammered shit.” He eyed Prompto’s drink. “Can I have a sip?”

Prompto came close and handed the open bottle to Gladio. “Not too much. Doc says you might still have risk of internal hemorrhaging.”

It took a great deal of his personal discipline not to chug the whole bottle. Handing the bottle back to Prompto he laid back as the room spun slightly. “Next time you go home you think you could grab my blanket and maybe something to read? Feel like I’m gonna be here a while.”

“Absolutely,” said Ignis, giving his hand another squeeze.

A moment later the nurse slipped into the room silently and hit a button on his monitors, muting the quiet alarm the heart monitor was giving off. “Good to see you’re awake. You have a very insistent young woman waiting outside, but the visitor limit in the ICU is two.”

“Probably Iris,” said Prompto. “I’ll go. I can come back later this afternoon with your stuff.”

The bed shifted as Ignis got up, leaving his hand cold again as he did. “I should probably go to. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper shower and it appears you’re in good hands.”

“Good luck drowning in pent up sisterly concern and love, Gladdy.” Prompto smirked at him and tapped his shin and gave him a tired smile.

“See you later.” Gladio waved a few fingers at them as they departed. “Thanks for everything.”

When it was just Gladio and the nurse left in the room he turned toward her and got her attention. “Hey, does my sister know what happened? How close I got to-” he swallowed. “Did she see any of it?”

She looked down at him warmly while replacing his fluids bag. “Mr. Amicitia, she’s been at your side since the moment you arrived. Between her and those two gentlemen you haven’t been alone unless we kicked them out. Those two friends of yours are fantastic, but your sister… She’s a strong one.”

Looking down at his lap, Gladio thought to himself what an idiot he had been these past few years. “Yeah… She is.”

~

Back at the apartment both Prompto and Ignis took some time to eat and wash up before packing up a few of Gladio’s favorite books and a blanket into a tote bag and leaving it next to the door so they wouldn’t forget it. The next thought for both was to try and get some sleep, but despite Ignis’ best attempts he wasn’t able to get any shuteye. Technically it was ten in the morning and despite the total darkness his internal clock was an insistent bitch as always.

It was maybe an hour later that the smell of something musky started to waft his way from the main room. Curiously, he kicked the dark blankets away and got up to investigate.

Prompto sat on Gladio’s futon, facing the television and watching some mundane movie for the tenth time with a rolled up joint pinched loosely between his fingers. The blonde turned toward him and exhaled a cloud before giving off a light cough. “Sorry, did I wake you?” He fanned the smoke toward the open window futilely. Instead it just spread the smoke around the apartment.

Ignis sighed. “I don’t suppose I should ask where you got drugs from.”

“Dino,” he said, lolling his head back on the couch.

Ignis wasn’t at all surprised. People’s desire for sparkly trinkets was slim these days. He couldn’t blame the jeweler for finding a different niche market. “Yes, well… If the authorities catch you with that-”

Prompto laughed. “Iggy, we _are_ the authorities.”

Ignis paused, unable to formulate a counter argument. “Touché.”

He held the joint out at arm length. “You want some?”

Shaking his head, Ignis crossed his arms. “I promised myself years ago that I would never let illicit substances touch my lips, but thank you for the offer.”

Pulling the joint back, Prompto pouted. His eyes were bloodshot more from the lack of sleep than anything else, but it was clear he already had a decent buzz on. “What if it doesn’t actually touch your lips?”

“Pardon?”

Prompto patted the seat next to him and scooted over. “You’re worried sick, need to relax, and haven’t slept properly in days. Humor me.” Having no counter argument (again) Ignis sat down next to the blonde and was caught a little off guard when Prompto leaned in. He took a deep drag from his joint and held his breath in, whispering, “Just breathe in slow.”

Ignis couldn’t have fought the surprised breath in if he tried. Prompto leaned into him, so close that he could see every long lash above his blue-violet eyes. He could feel Prompto’s breath on his lips from an inch away when suddenly he realized, that was the whole point.

Heart hammering in his chest from the sheer position of the act, Ignis breathed in slowly. When the acrid smoke passed over his tongue and into his lungs he fought the intense urge to cough. He nearly did when Prompto closed the final inch and gave Ignis a chaste kiss on the lips before retreating back to his half of the couch.

“Your moustache tickles,” Prompto said, rubbing his upper lip.

Now that there was distance between them, Ignis did cough…and cough… and cough.

Prompto pat his back. “You alright there, Iggy?”

It took nearly a minute before Ignis had his breath back. “How *cough*… How do you not cough to death breathing that in like you do?”

The gunslinger just shrugged. “Practice I guess. I’ve been smoking on and off since I started hanging out with Noct.” Ignis shot him a glare. “Don’t look at _me_ like that. For once it was your precious prince who was the bad influence.”

Ignis huffed as his breathing returned to normal. Despite the coughing the drug seemed to have started to do its job. He started to feel similar to being drunk, but warmer (if that made any sense). The rough thread count of the futon beneath them was less irritating and more intriguing, the movie one the television actually appeared interesting despite the horrid plotline, and Prompto’s proximity started making him less nervous and more…

“Mind if I try again?” Ignis asked.

“Shotgunning? Sure.” Prompto took another deep inhale and repeated the process. This time Ignis was ready for it. Breathing in the smoke a little better this time he managed to stave off the objections of his lungs and throat long enough for Prompto to lean in for the signature peck at the end of the stream of smoke.

This time it was Prompto’s turn to seem surprised as Ignis’ hand ran up the back of his head and pulled him in to deepen the kiss.

Burning in his lungs forgotten, the heat began to move elsewhere throughout his body. Ignis wasn’t sure if it was the drugs or the fact that the blonde was an amazing kisser drag him under. It wasn’t long before teeth parted and tongues began to explore the others mouth as the smoke seeped out between them. Hands roamed, grabbing and grinding wherever they felt fit.

Ignis’ fingers found their way up Prompto’s torso under his t-shirt and he audibly moaned when his thumbs traced the small metallic barbells he found at his nipples. Prompto mimicked his movements while lavishing mouthy kisses on his pulse hard enough to surely leave a mark, but Ignis didn’t care.

It wasn’t until Prompto’s fingers started brushing the edge of his belt did Ignis pull away.

Lips swollen and breathless, Ignis tried to stammer out an apology, but the drugs had done its job clouding his thoughts. “Prompto… I… I’m sorry.”

Prompto blinked, confused. “Why?”

“What do you mean, “Why?’” Ignis scooted himself up into a more dignified sitting position. “You and Gladio… and he’s in the hospital.” Running his fingers through his hair the guilt started to overwhelm the warm feeling he’d felt a moment before.

“Iggy… Iggy!” Prompto said, clearly noticing his heightened discomfort. The smaller man rubbed circles around Ignis’ hips with his thumbs in an effort to placate him. “Gladio and I are together, yeah, but we’re not _exclusive_.” He chuckled. “Shit, you don’t think we don’t hear you jerking off from your room when we have sex? These walls are super thin, you know.”

Ignis’ blush only deepened. He didn’t know what to say.

“Chill, Specks. Nothing has to happen that you don’t want to happen. I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone in this. Alright?”

Taking the time to soak up the words, Ignis started to sink back into the warm comforting arms of the high that was still lingering beneath the surface. This was so bizarre, and yet it felt like it was something that had been going on for a while, but he’d been too blind to see it. “Well… if you’re absolutely certain of that. I wouldn’t mind some company in bed.” He shot a finger out poignantly. “No, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is…”

“You don’t want to be alone right now.” Prompto finished for him. “I get it.”

Ignis nodded and leaned in and gave the gunslinger another quick kiss. “We should talk about this more after some sleep. Maybe broach the topic further when Gladio is well enough to come home.”

“I’ve never agreed with you more, Specks.”

 

X~X~X~

Alright, that was a lot of things going on in 5000 words and I’m exhausted. I’ve been sick and absolutely spent all week, but my muse refused to let me sleep until this was done.

Shoot me some comments to motivate me to crank out the next chapter faster. There will be some NSFW content coming. Promise ;)

Special thanks again for Ignis-Scientia-Estrogen-Brigade (ISEB) on Tumblr for doing the art that inspired this chapter. <3

 

 

 


	7. Special Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to the hot springs at Ravatogh to assist in Gladio's recovery.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 7

~3.8 years~

 

After a quick stop at the haven to max out a few more magic flasks, the three of them pulled into the parking lot of Verinas Mart at the base of Ravatogh. Prompto let out a low whistle when they got out of the car and snapped some photos. “Wow, I don’t remember the volcano looking that cool last time we were here.”

Ignis nodded. “Yes, well, last time we were more concerned with an enormous bird making a meal out of us. This time at least we get to enjoy the view.” He went around the back and got their bags out of the trunk before Gladio could. It had been just over a month since Gladio was discharged from the hospital. His recovery was going well so far, but the shield had been repeatedly caught doing pushups and crunches despite doctor’s orders to take it easy. Rather than scold the grown man again Ignis made him a deal that they would take a short vacation under the condition that he stopped doing squat thrusts when he thought nobody was looking.

Gladio reluctantly agreed.

The geyser to the side of the mart erupted, spewing hot water high into the sky in a cloud of steam as Prompto clicked away with his camera. It was hot enough for the three of them to feel it from the parking lot. Gladio wiped some stray droplets of water out of his hair. “You think it’s safe to be sitting in that? Last time we were here I remember it being just about boiling.”

Ignis nodded. “They’ve dug a partition away from the main geyser where the water is hot, but tolerable. I believe its their attempts to improve business. Hot water is a luxury these days.”

“Amen to that,” said Prompto, putting his camera away. “I know we’re here for Gladio to heal up and all, but I am looking forward to a good soak.”

After confirming their camper reservation, dropping off their bags, and changing into their swim trunks they made their way down to the designated area. It was clear that Verinas fully intended to turn the whole area into a legitimate _onsen_ once upon a time, but with the darkness and reduced resources the whole project seemed to have been put on hold.

The water had a mild sulfuric smell to it and the security fence along the perimeter of the property to keep the wildlife out didn’t lend the best ambiance, but in these dark times it was practically a spa.

Prompto was the first to set his towel aside and slowly slip down the smooth rock into the steamy water below. He hissed when it got past his knees. “Ahhhhh, hot hot hot.”

Gladio rolled his eyes. “That’s sort of the point.”

Thankfully, once they were all in the water was actually quite tolerable. Especially with the bucket of icy beers Gladio had the foresight to purchase. It was expensive, but considering they were on vacation Ignis overlooked the expense. Especially with what he had in mind to talk about later that evening.

Prompto let out a contented sigh from his corner of the pool. His head was tilted back with a towel draped over his eyes. “What are the odds that we can just move down here permanently. I could get used to this.”

Ignis hummed in agreement. “As nice as this is there really isn’t any work out here. We’d burn through our savings in no time.”

“I did see a flyer for a wyvern hunt not far from here,” Gladio offered. “Their wings fetch a pretty penny on top of the reward.”

Shooting him a stern look, Ignis splashed some water at him. “Absolutely not. You’re here to heal, not chase dragons.”

Gladio splashed back half-heartedly. “Killjoy.” He finished his beer and opened another one.

“I’m with Iggy on this one, Gladio,” said Prompto, not looking up. “You’re no good to anyone if you re-break your ribs.”

Grumbling ‘ _traitor’_ under his breath, Gladio admitted defeat for the time being. “Hey Prom, when are you gonna finish your ink?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. Why?”

“The guy who did mine is opening a mobile shop back in the city. Want me to hook you up?”

“Well, getting tattooed out of the back of a van sounds super shady… but if you recommend him I’ll give it a shot.”

“Attaboy.”

The three of them fell into silence for a while after that, just enjoying the soak as the minutes ticked by. Ignis had nearly dozed off when Prompto stood up in the water and woke him. “Well, I’m turning into a raisin. I’m gonna go get a bite to eat. You guys want anything?” He crawled out and toweled off his hair before throwing his t-shirt back on.

“Few more beers wouldn’t hurt.”

“They probably don’t have any, but keep your eyes open for some Ebony.”

The blonde shot them double finger guns and winked. “I gotchu fam. Be back in a jiffy.”

Gladio chuckled. “You’re such a dork.”

“You love it,” he called before rounding the corner of the building and disappearing from view.

Ignis smiled at the banter between the two of them. Despite the fact that having them back at the apartment was trying at times (three grown men sharing a bathroom was a nightmare) Ignis wasn’t sure how he would have managed these past months without them.

Gladio had gotten him working out again after Devon’s death when he’d barely wanted to get out of bed. The man’s constant presence was motivation enough to work out due to the fact that he was apparently allergic to long-sleeved shirts. In the years since Noct left them to the crystal Ignis had unintentionally pushed the priority of physical fitness aside for other duties. He’d still done some cardio and a basic routine, but not nearly enough to maintain Crownsguard expectations. With Gladio’s help he’d nearly gotten back to peak fitness.

He’d also was pleased to discover their small book collection had expanded. Granted Gladio’s section of the shelf was mostly raunchy harlequin novels, but there were a fair share of historical non-fictions that Ignis appreciated as well.

Having Prompto around was a ray of sunshine in the dark world, despite the tools Ignis was almost constantly tripping over.

After teaching him how to properly cook an egg and not burn toast the gunslinger had eagerly broadened his interest and soaked up everything Ignis had to teach him. He’d also painted a mural on the wall behind the television (that Ignis had badly stained during his cathartic tantrum) of the sunrise over the docks of Insomnia. It was lovely. Ignis encouraged him to try and sell some paintings along with his photos, but paint was limited as was the space in their small apartment. So, artistic endeavors had to wait.

His presence was appreciated on another level after Gladio was injured. After their first kiss Prompto had shared his bed that night. While they hadn’t done anything physical, Prompto just being there had curtailed the worry and panic of Gladio’s brush with death.

They’d shared a few not-so-chaste kisses on occasion, but until Gladio was better Ignis didn’t want to do anything that would cause undue drama between them. Even if Prompto kept insisting he and Gladio weren’t a ‘thing’.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Ignis blinked. He must have been staring into space. “Just thinking about how I was enjoying having you two back these last couple of months.”

Gladio signed contently and leaned back onto the rock. “It is good to be home. Being on the road was exciting, but it’s nice to rest my head in the same place most nights. Although,” he rolled his shoulders, “I gotta keep an eye out for a new futon mattress. I think it’s doing more damage to my back than the behemoth did.”

Seeing an opportunity he couldn’t miss, Ignis scooted a little closer. “Well if your back hurt, why didn’t you just ask for a massage?”

Gladio shook his head. “Nah. You already treat us too good. I wouldn’t put you out like that.”

Ignis scoffed. “Oh, come now. It’s not a trouble. Besides we’re here for you to heal. Let me see what I can do.”

Grumbling to himself, Gladio relented and turned so his back was facing Ignis and leaned forward. “There’s a bad knot just between the shoulder blades, left side.”

Ignis ran his fingers along the feathered tattoo for a moment, enjoying the feel of the muscles beneath it. He’d always admired the sheer size and strength of the man. There had been a time or two during sparing matches, when he’d actually managed to pin Gladio to the matt, the feeling of the taught muscle beneath his legs stroked more than his ego.

“Eos to Iggy,” said Gladio when his fingers stilled.

Clearing his throat, Ignis resumed what he was doing and lightly prodded a spot where the muscle seemed tightest. When he heard Gladio wince he figured he’d found the area of discomfort. “Let me know if I’m going too hard.”

“Don’t worry, I can take-ouch!” He flinched away. “Okay, maybe not.”

“I brought some healing salve Sania gave me. It should help.” He stood up, grabbing his towel. “We should probably get out for a little while anyway. It wouldn’t do us good to linger for too long.”

~

Gladio followed Ignis into the caravan, surprised the strategist hadn’t put his shirt back on before leaving the hot spring. Sure, it was a short walk, but Ignis was always so conservative. Gladio couldn’t really remember seeing him shirtless more than a few times since they’d moved back in.

Once they were in the caravan the overhead lighting illuminated the scars running the length of Ignis’s left arm up past his shoulder. His skin was red from the hot spring, causing them to stand out more. He remembered finding him at Zegnautus Keep, close to death, skin ashen and burnt. Ignis had done the impossible and beaten Ardyn, at least for the time being, but the risk he took was unimaginable. Every time he thought about it his throat got tight. Part of him was ashamed for not being there or for letting Ignis be taken in the first place, but the prince was priority.

Still, he couldn’t help think what might have happened if Noct hadn’t gotten there in time and healed him.

“You should probably lie down on the bed for this,” said Ignis, pulling a small tin out of his bag.

Not objecting to being pampered, Gladio crawled onto the bed at the rear of the caravan and put his hands under his head. The mattress shifted as Ignis crawled in beside him and opened the tin. “This may tingle a bit,” he said before rubbing some of the salve onto the area of discomfort. The smell of camphor and mint permeated the small space as Ignis worked in gentle circles. After a moment the area heated up and seemed to release some tension.

Gladio hummed. “Iggy, is there anything you’re not good at?”

He let out a quiet laugh, “I can never get a hang of Kings Knight, despite Prompto’s repeated attempts to teach me.”

Gladio snorted into the pillow, but winced when Ignis hit a nerve.

“Apologies.”

“Nah, it’s okay. It’s helping a lot. Prompto gives back rubs, but he just ends up digging his knuckles in. He tries, but you’re way better at it.”

Ignis hummed and pushed his palm into the knot slowly. It stung, but Gladio could feel the tense muscle begin to release under the pressure. “I’m glad you two have each other,” Ignis said before moving his hand again.

“What can I say? He grew on me.”

“He does have that effect on people.”

“Jealous?” he asked jokingly.

“A bit. You two _do_ sound like you have fun in the wee hours of the evening.” Gladio didn’t say anything, but raised an eyebrow at the comment. They’d tried to keep it down whenever they were feeling frisky, but once a few months ago they’d heard Ignis making a few noises of his own in the other room.

The first time they’d heard it Gladio and Prompto had froze and looked at each other, thinking they might be hearing things. But sure enough the sound of staccato breaths that was unmistakable as anything else escaped the bedroom. The sound had sent an unexpected shot of arousal through the both of them and they’d ended up finishing in record time that night.

After that, admittedly, they didn’t keep as quiet as they could.

Gladio had never said anything, even to Prompto, but he’d started harboring a fantasy that one night Ignis would just get fed up with eaves dropping, open the door, and join them. Gladio never knew how to bring the topic up, so it remained just that. A fantasy.

He shrugged his shoulders casually and tried to will away the growing erection the memory stirred. “Sorry if we kept you up.”

“It’s alright. Believe me, its not the worst thing I’ve overheard in that building.” Ignis finished with the knot and moved his hands slowly over the expanse of Gladio’s back. “Are there any other spots that need attention?”

Gladio couldn’t help himself. “Well there is one, but I don’t want that salve anywhere near it.” He was joking of course.

Ignis chuckled and got up off the bed.

Gladio stayed where he was, relieved that the tension in his back was gone for the time being. Closing his eyes, he harbored the thought of dozing off right where he was. He could hear water running in the kitchenette and it slowly dawned on him that Ignis was washing the salve off his hands.

His eyes shot open when the mattress shifted again.

“Well if you want me to take care of it you should probably roll over.” His tone was professional and even as always, but the octave had definitely lowered.

Gladio swallowed hard. Ignis was a dutiful man, but he couldn’t be serious. Turning and looking over his shoulder, Ignis certainly looked serious. There was a flush to his face that Gladio wasn’t sure was from the hot water or arousal, but when Ignis licked his lower lip he felt his heart thud against his ribs.

Still, Gladio couldn’t help but mask his nervousness with humor. “Shouldn’t you buy a guy a drink first?”

Ignis closed the distance between them by a few inches. “I believe we just finished a few in the hot spring.”

Gladio hummed, slowly melting under the scarred emerald gaze. He’d played this game of chicken with Prompto years ago and ended up with his hand cuffed to a chair (granted, things got very interesting afterward). Ignis, on the other hand, didn’t appear to have any ulterior motives.

He propped himself up on his elbows and tested the waters. “How about a kiss then?”

“I think I can handle that.” Closing the distance, Ignis’ lips were on his in an instant. Soft and pliant, Ignis kissed him long and languidly with no rush to his actions. It wasn’t until the tip of the strategists tongue traced Gladio’s lower lip did he push into the kiss, seeking more. When the angle became awkward Gladio rolled onto his back. Ignis straddled him, but seemed to intentionally keep weight of Gladio’s chest as he resumed the kiss where he left off. When he felt Ignis’ own erection rub against his through the nylon of their swim trunks Gladio let out a low growl and thrust up to meet him, earing a moan in return.

Calloused hands roamed down Ignis’ back and didn’t stop until they slipped beneath the elastic and got a good grip of the round flesh he found there. Ignis broke the kiss and gasped when Gladio pushed him down, rubbing their cocks together harder. Even in the dim light of the camper he could see a dark patch of purple fabric as Ignis rutted against him. The sight alone was making him drunk with lust.

“Ignis,” he managed to say, even though it came out as a half-moan.

When the heard a gasp and the door to the camper bang shut the two of them turned toward the sound. Prompto was standing there, holding a brown shopping bag and wearing a hurt expression on his face. “Ignis…Gladio… How could you…”

Guilt shot through Gladio like a bullet. Prompto had always said that they weren’t a couple, but now that he looked so hurt he started seriously questioning it. “Prom, I…”

“How could you start without me?” Prompto finished saying, looking poignantly at Ignis.

Gladio’s brow furrowed. “What are you- fuck,” he gasped as Ignis twisted his hips, rubbing their members together in a way that should have been illegal.

Ignis let out a devious chuckle and turned toward the gunslinger. “Apologies. I got impatient.”

Putting down the items from the store, Prompto was quick to shed his shirt and start rummaging through his own bag. After he found what he wanted he took a few steps toward the bed and put down the bottle of lube he brought and a hand towel. “Sorry I’m late to the party.”

If his hands weren’t still gripping Ignis’ ass, Gladio would have pinched himself. “You two planned this?”

Ignis tilted his head toward the blonde. “It was all Prompto’s idea.”

“Nah ah! It was your idea to come out here.”

“Well yes, that’s true, but the _healing_ aspects of the trip were honest. Though I admit,” Ignis ran his hands along Gladio’s abs beneath him, “I certainly can’t complain. Do you have any objections, Gladio? Of course, we don’t need to do anything if you’re uncomfortable or aren’t feeling well enough to go further.”

“No,” Gladio said, trying to piece things together. How long had the two of them been plotting this? “I mean yes. Yes, lets continue.”

Prompto beamed. “Alright, time for some _sexual heeeeealing_ …”

Both men shot him a look, but Gladio spoke first. “Blondie, I swear to the Six you sing one more note and I’m throwing you out of this trailer.”

Pouting, Prompto stopped. “Spoil sport. Fine, I’ll just have to pay attention to Ignis for a little while then,” he said with a haughty tone. At first Gladio wasn’t quite sure what he meant, but when Prompto leaned in and kissed Ignis’ shoulder before slowly moving up his neck, Gladio stopped trying to think.

Ignis closed his eyes and leaned into the affections before turning his head and returning the kiss. Prompto slid his hands around Ignis’ middle before slipping his hands further down and lightly palming Ignis through his swim trunks. “Wow,” Prompto paused kissing long enough to say, “Gladdy, I think he might give you a run for your money.” Reaching his hand down further, he gave Gladio a generous grope before returning back up to Ignis. “I wonder if he tastes as good too.”

How Prompto managed to go from corny singing to dirty talk in the blink of an eye Gladio would never know, but gods damn it was the biggest fucking turn on.

Reluctantly, Gladio let go of Ignis’ ass with one hand to give Prompto better access as he began to untie the draw strings to the purple swim trunks. The angle was a little awkward, but with minor shifting he managed to get the trunks open and release Ignis from the nylon bindings. Ignis moaned in relief as Prompto took him in his hand, stroking slowly until a bead of precum began to leak from the tip. They made out slowly while he worked, giving Gladio a spectacular view as tongues danced between lips.

Gladio’s own neglected cock throbbed in its bindings, but he didn’t dare move other than occasionally kneading the flesh of Ignis’ ass with one hand. If he touched himself now he would probably burst.

After what felt like an eternity of teasing Prompto’s lips finally started to descend south down Ignis’ torso. When he crouched down on the bed he made sure to look Gladio right in the eye as he ran his tongue along the side of Ignis’ shaft, repeating the process a few times before swirling his tongue around the head and sucked lightly.

Ignis tangled his fingers into blonde locks as his hips hitched. “Gods, Prompto,” he gasped.

Gladio couldn’t take it anymore. Letting go of Ignis he fumbled with the drawstring of his own shorts and managed to lift his hips enough to get them down to where he could spring free of his own confines with a sigh of relief. Taking himself in his hand he only got a few quick strokes in before Prompto grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

Lifting his head from Ignis for a moment he shot Gladio a sly grin before lifting the shields cock to his lips and banishing it down his throat as far as it would go. “Fuck!” His abs and thighs trembled as Prompto worked. He’d always given amazing head, but after so much buildup Gladio was fit to burst.

But before he could, Prompto switched back to Ignis, who moaned appreciatively.

Not leaving Gladio hanging, Prompto took Gladio’s saliva covered cock and stroked it slowly while he lavished attention on Ignis.

Gripping the sheets hard, Gladio could feel Ignis trembling against his thighs as the gunslinger worked his magic. Gods he was so close, but every time his balls tightened in anticipation of release Prompto’s hand would slow to a crawl.

“Gods,” he gasped and clenched his eyes when Prompto’s hand stopped completely. “Please…” When he opened them again he saw why Prompto had stopped. Ignis had a tight grip on his hair as he emptied himself down his willing throat. His head was thrown back in a silent moan as the twitching of his hips slowed and finally released Prompto’s hair.

A string of saliva and cum spanned the gap between them as Prompto pulled back and swallowed. “Astrals…” Ignis exhaled, his face flush and his lower lip swollen from biting on it.

Before Ignis could finish whatever he was saying, Prompto turned and gave Gladio his full attention. It only took a few bobs of his head before the spring of orgasm snapped and Gladio was emptying into him so hard his vision went white.

Momentarily losing the ability to do anything other than breathe, Gladio slowly waited for the world to come back to him. Meanwhile, Prompto was crawling across to the far side of the bed as Ignis kicked off his shorts and joined him. Prompto’s trunks were already long gone as Ignis resumed kissing him. “May I return the favor?” Ignis asked after a few minutes.

Prompto chuckled. “Do you really need to ask? I am on a hair trigger after that though, so I won’t last long.”

Ignis smiled and kissed him again before moving south.

Scarred lips made their way over freckled flesh, pausing to lavish attention on the small barbells piercing pink nipples. He earned a light moan and fingers running along his scalp for his efforts. After a moment he continued along his path, taking a moment to kiss the silver stretch marks that ran along the skin, appreciating the effort it took for Prompto to get in the shape he was today.

Prompto was leaking by the time Ignis made it to his cock. He took his time, relishing the sensation of flesh sliding down the back of his tongue until his nose touched soft curls. Thinking back on the day Prompto first kissed him and how often he’d thought about doing this.

A hand on his lower back made him pause before it was joined by another. Gladio kneaded his flesh almost hard enough to hurt, but the added sensation went right to his cock, stirring it anew. Gladio’s voice in the shell of his ear said, “Are you up for more?” He hummed a response that he hoped sounded like a yes. “How do you want to do this? Top? Bottom?”

“I suggest letting Gladdy top,” said Prompto. “It’s quite the experience… if you’re prepared for it.”

Ignis lifted his head long enough to say, “You’d better prepare me then. Liberally.”

A few seconds later he could hear the snap of a cap and well lubricated fingers slid down the crack of his ass before massaging his entrance and slowly pushing in. Ignis moaned around Prompto at the feel of it. He had a toy back home that was a decent size that he’d been using fairly frequently in the last few months, but the feeling of someone else moving inside him felt even better. Especially knowing what was coming.

Lost in thought he barely had time to register the trembling of Prompto’s thighs and the rushed warning before the blonde gave a soft choke and came. Never one to be rude and spit, Ignis kept his lips as tight as he could and swallowed, giving Prompto a final lick appreciatively before Gladio inserted another finger and hit his prostate dead on.

Letting out a yelp of surprise, Ignis buried his face into Prompto’s stomach as Gladio massaged the spot, scissoring his fingers open as he did. Prompto ran fingers through his hair and over his back soothingly as Gladio added a third finger. Ignis moaned into freckled flesh.

“Taking it like a champ Iggy.” Prompto said above him. “You should probably be on top. It’s a lot at first. Took me a couple of tries to get all the way down.”

Gladio ran a hand over Ignis’ lower back as he worked, pushing in just a little further. “You’re gorgeous like this, Iggy. You ready?”

Ignis was having a hard time forming words, so he just nodded.

Gladio withdrawing his fingers left Ignis feeling empty, but it was short lived as he positioned himself over the behemoth of a man.

Part of him couldn’t believe this was happening. He’d seen visions of the future as they might have been while in Altissia, but he certainly had never seen any premonitions like this. The royal shield beneath him, amber eyes blown out and cock rubbing between the flesh of his ass. Prompto’s taste was still on Ignis’ tongue as the gunslinger ran a hand down his back and kissed his shoulder as he rolled on a condom and guided Gladio in.

He gasped when the head breached the ring of muscle and began to slide in inch by torturous inch. Gladio bit his lip and rubbed soothing circles on Ignis’ hips with his thumbs as he slid down. At some point he stopped too catch his breath. His toy still hadn’t adequately prepared him for the real thing.

“You alright?” Gladio asked, concerned.

“Yes, it’s just…an experience.” Legs shaking, he managed to lift himself up a few inches before sliding back down. He repeated this a few times until the pressure made its way to his prostate and he _moaned_.

Now that he found the most comfortable angle he leaned back and rested his weight on Gladio’s thighs before moving again, gradually picking up speed.

No longer needed as a coach, Prompto shifted on the bed until he was kneeling next to Gladio’s face. He was hard and leaking again as he stroked himself. He let out a low whistle. “I should get my camera.”

Ignis barely had the capacity to glare at him. “Don’t…you…dare…” he said as his second orgasm careened toward him at a ridiculous speed. He’d never come from penetration alone, but there was a first time for everything.

When he snapped his head back forward to warn Gladio, his breath hitched when he saw Prompto’s length lazily thrusting into Gladio’s lips. He snapped his hips down one more time as the orgasm tore through him.

It went on, and on, and on.

When he opened his eyes again and looked down he was surprised to find Gladio’s chest free of orgasmic evidence. “Wow,” said Prompto blissfully. Apparently, he’d come again during Ignis’ mild seizure. “A dry orgasm. Never seen that happen before.”

Strength gone, Ignis struggled to lift himself off Gladio. “Well I assure you…” he winced, “It just did. Gladio, do you need me to…”

The shield sat up and kissed him before he could finish his words. When they broke Gladio just smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it, after my first shot I can go for an hour. I think that’s enough for one night.”

Ignis sighed in relief. He barely had any strength left in him. “Then I’m going to go clean up.”

“Probably a good idea.”

Slowly making his way to the tiny bathroom, Ignis ran some water in the sink until it was warm before wetting a washcloth. Back in the bedroom he heard Prompto singing, “… _when I get that feeling, I want sexual heal_ -ouch! Gladio!”

~

The next morning came too quickly with a knock on the RV door. Ignis rolled over in bed and winced. He would need a good long soak in the hot springs today to get rid of the lingering soreness from last night.

A knock came again, more insistent.

Prompto was the closest one to the door, so Ignis nudged him awake. “Prompto… Prompto…” The blonde groaned. “Could you see who that is, please?”

“And tell them to go away,” Gladio added.

When Prompto slid out of the bed and threw his swim trunks back on Ignis found his phone and checked the time. “Who on Eos is knocking at six in the morning?”

He heard Prompto talking to someone. Ignis tried listening in, but whatever it was it didn’t sound terribly urgent. Prompto told them thanks and reentered the trailer with a brown package in his hand. He blinked a few times and tried to focus on the swirling writing.

“What is it?” Gladio groaned, looking over Ignis’ shoulder from the far side of the bed.

“We got mail. The carrier said it was rushed to us overnight. How the hell do you even _do_ overnight mail these days?” He turned on the light over the stove. “It’s got all three of our names on it.”

Something about this wasn’t right. “Who even knows we’re here?” Ignis slid out of bed and found his pants before pulling them on too.

By now Prompto was unwrapping the packaging. Inside was a small briefcase. Stainless steal and locked, the only thing on it was a black square the size of a driver’s license. Gladio tried opening it, but it remained sealed. “How the hell to you open this thing? What even is… Prom, you alright?”

Ignis turned to the younger man, who had gone pale. “Prompto, what’s the matter.”

He swallowed. “It’s from Niflheim.”

Gladio furrowed his brow. “What? How do you know?”

Hand shaking, Prompto reached out and turned his hand over so that his barcode tattoo faced the black window. A green light illuminated the screen with a chime and the sound of an internal mechanism released.

Gladio and Ignis took a step back as Prompto opened it, half expecting it to be a bomb or something of that nature. But the inside was just plush black velvet, in it’s center was an envelope with a black wax seal and, “Iggy, are these your old glasses?” Prompto handed the broken spectacles over his shoulder for Ignis to examine.

The lenses were missing and the frame was bent, but, “Yes, they are. I haven’t seen them since Altissia.”

Gladio picked up the envelope and turned it over in his hand. There was no writing on the outside, but the paper was clearly expensive. Possibly velum. “Guys, this is the Caelum royal seal.” He held it up to the light and sure enough the black wax had the seal they’d seen thousands of times in it. It wasn’t as detailed as when King Regis marked documents, but it was unmistakable. Ignis fetched his current glasses from the table to get a better look as Gladio opened it. Inside was a crisp envelope of eggshell white. The font was cerulean blue and written in immaculate calligraphy.

 

_Gods be with you on this auspicious day and bless be the ties that bind us_

_To the so-called Brotherhood that keeps the darkness at bay_

_We joyously invite you to the grand opening of the New Magitek Production Facility_

_First of April, M. E. 760 at Noon_

_If you are unable to attend then we will gladly meet you at the public demonstration in Lestallum on the Third of April, M. E. 760_

_Light refreshments will be served._

 

Ignis re-read the invitation a second time. The subtext was clear. ‘Come to us, or we will come to you’. He double checked the date on his phone. “Gentlemen, that date is a week away.”

 

X~X~X~

Slides off couch. OMG this took all day to write. *pumps fist* Worth it.

This is when shit really starts hitting the fan, guys. Yes, they all had sex (yay! Finally!) but things are about to get real. Strap in.

Thanks yet again to Goldslactuar for brainstorming.

Please be courteous and leave a comment if you enjoyed this content. It always fuels me to write more ^_^

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Abomination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys answer the invitation to the Magitek Facility.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 8

~3.81 years~

 

It was no small miracle that the train was still running to Gralea. It may have only been one passenger car, one cargo car, and the locomotive, but it was better than the three of them could have asked for.

They owed Biggs and Wedge a serious favor after this. They’d been keeping the train running to move whatever remaining resources and refugees they could find fleeing Niflheim and Tenebrae. The Niff’s leadership may have been partially responsible for the world as it was, but that didn’t mean that it’s people needed to suffer for it.

“How long do you need us to wait for you?” Wedge asked as they stepped off the tracks, pulling his collar up to protect his face from the freezing wind and snow.  

“If we’re not back in two days, leave,” Ignis said, cautiously eyeing the silent daemons that coasted through the cold Gralean skies. “If you can even stay that long. I have your number if we manage to get out of there sooner.”

Wedge grumbled as the other two got off the train. “You know Aranea wanted us to go with you.”

“She calls the lot of you ‘fucking idiots’,” added Biggs. “Her words,” he added when Gladio shot him a hard glare.

“Be that as it may,” Ignis said, adjusting his glasses and pulling his coat tighter around his neck. “We appreciate your assistance more than you know.”

The two mercenaries just nodded at them. “Be safe.”

They walked (and sometimes crawled over or under wreckage) in silence until the looming façade of the Magitek Facility came into view. Prompto swallowed hard enough for the others to hear him. Gladio gave him a reassuring pat on the back before they continued on.

It had been a long ride to Gralea, during which Prompto filled Gladio and Ignis in on what he’d been up to when he disappeared for a few months years ago. He had to. After opening the briefcase he _had_ to explain himself. He should have told them everything sooner.

During the ride he told them how he’d gone with Aranea and her subordinates to the lab years ago. How they’d spent the better part of a week going through the upper laboratories and finding row after row of oversized green tubes. Tubes filled with hundreds of clones that shared Prompto’s DNA and likeness. They’d found some files, recordings, and videos talking about the cloning process, Magitek cores that powered the MT’s, and how one infant clone had been spirited away twenty years ago.

Prompto told them how they’d also found what was left Prompto’s ‘ _father’_. How the utterly mad, Verstael Besithia was already well on his way to becoming a daemon when they arrived. He’d approached Prompto, called him his son and also a _failure_ to everything he’d hoped to accomplish. How Prompto raised his gun toward him and pulled the trigger out of pity rather than fear.

How his bullet went clean through the madman’s skull and into the control panel behind him, short circuiting the whole contraption and causing an explosion that nearly killed the lot of them. The blast had taken out the whole lab, along with hundreds if not thousands of remaining clones. Prompto was probably all that was left of his fucked up ‘family’.

He went on to explain how after that he’d fallen into a depression so deep that he nearly drowned in it. How he kept thinking of what his friends would say if they knew what he was. How he was sure Aranea might let that information slip to the wrong people by accident (she hadn’t, and neither had Biggs or Wedge, thank the Six). How he’d made repeated attempt to burn or cut off his barcode, only for it to heal right back up when he used a potion. How he held the barrel of his own gun in his mouth one night when he was deep in drunken despair, only to chicken out at the last instant.

Somehow, Cor found him, wallowing in self-pity at a brothel near Old Lestallum and literally smacked some sense back into him. Dragging him out of that place, The Immortal had watched him like a hawk until he sobered up and told him everything about the baby he rescued from the lab years ago. How Cor had been shadowing him for the better part of two decades, and how he was so much better than the grave he’d dug for himself.

Taking him under his wing, he’d fine tuned his skills and taught him how to better utilize his strengths and weaknesses when working alone before turning him lose as a bounty hunter. Cor was never privy to Prompto’s exact ‘methods’ of catching his marks, but he never asked so Prompto never told him.

Gladio and Ignis had sat silently during the whole story, only asking amplifying questions once in a while before Prompto finished. When he was done he felt exhausted and emotionally spent as he sat back into the booth, looking at is companions…friends…lovers… waiting for their reaction. Biting his lip, he looked down at his hands, seeing the edges of the offending barcode peek out from beneath his cold weather coat.

“Prompto,” Ignis said, “I believe I told you nearly four years ago that this,” he reached out and put a hand over Prompto’s wrist. “does not define who you are.”

Prompto looked up at him through a haze of tears. “How did you know about this…When we were at my parents place...”

Ignis shook his head and whispered. “That’s a discussion for another day.”

Gladio reached out and wrapped an arm warmly around the blonde’s shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re a Lucian. Maybe even more so than some people who were actually born there.” He shot him a charming smile. “So, don’t worry about it, Crown Citizen.”

Prompto had opened his mouth to say something, but words failed him. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve an took a deep breath. “Thanks guys. You’re the best.” Then a thought occurred to him. “I just hope when Noct finds out that… That things could stay the way they were.”

Gladio scoffed. “Somehow I doubt Princess would let something like nationality affect who he considers a friend. Don’t you think, Iggy?”

Ignis smile broadened knowingly. “I certainly don’t see you turning against us. Not now. Not ever.”

Gladio mussed his hair, laughing for the first time since the RV at Verinas Mart. “Besides, I think the news that we’re all bunking together might be a bit more of a shock.”

Ignis smirked. “ _Bunking together_. That’s what we’re calling it?”

A warmth crept back into Prompto’s heart as the train roared along the snow dusted rails.

Now, though, as they stood before the main entrance of the Magitek Facility, Prompto felt like he was reliving a nightmare. All three of them jumped hard when the door made a loud clang as it opened on its own and an all too familiar voice boomed over the loud speakers. _“Good day gentlemen. What a pleasure it is to see that you were able to make it in this dreadful weather.”_ There was a pause as Ardyn’s voice echoed lightly off the husks of the buildings around them. _“Or_ goodnight _rather. It may be high noon, but the terminology doesn’t seem to matter much as of late.”_ The doors finished opening and stopped, screeching on their neglected hinges as the three of them looked at each other.

_“Come come now. Don’t dilly-dally. It’s rude to keep your hostess waiting.”_

“Hostess?” Prompto whispered under his breath.

They all looked perturbed by the statement, but still they didn’t have much time to stand around and question the likes of Ardyn. They entered the Keep and the enormous doors shrieked as they closed behind them.

Considering their invitation described a ‘grand reopening’ the entire facility looked like it was being powered by auxiliary power as the red track lighting overhead hummed slowly. The main vestibule to the entrance was a half circle crowned in metallic doors, each with its own flickering light indicating it was locked.

Ignis ran a gloved hand over one of the railings and it came up thick with dust. “Nobody’s been through here in some time.”

The three of them scanned the vestibule doors, each with a small red heart of light indicating they were locked. “Prom,” Gladio started, “I hate to ask but, do you think your mark can open these doors too?”

Prompto rolled up his sleeve. He’d expected this much when they got here. “Yeah, it should. But this place is huge. I wouldn’t know which one to go through.”

One of the doors to their far left made a light chiming noise and the light flickered green before opening for them. The rest remained dead and locked.

“I suppose we don’t have a choice in the matter,” said Ignis as he pulled his daggers out of the armiger and followed Gladio down the open corridor with Prompto bringing up the rear, guns drawn.

They followed the maze of doors for hours, expecting daemons to come out and attack them at any moment, but other than the odd MT corpse they didn’t encounter anything. The utter silence was almost more nerve wrecking than the howls of daemons off in the distance. Nothing attacked, nothing moved, nothing breathed. This place was a shell, the residence long since dead or fled.

The only thing that broke the silence was the occasional his and feedback on the speakers overhead that seemed to occupy every corridor of this gods-forsaken building. Ardyn’s voice would occasionally chime in with a quip or a comment. “ _Come along now, don’t dawdle,”_ and _“Oh, I do look forward to seeing your faces at the reunion. Such a pitiful shame Noctis couldn’t make it.”_ and _“The party hasn’t started just yet, but I think you can still make it before hors d’oeuvres and punch are served.”_

Their energy and patience was wearing thin as they rounded another corner and all three of them paused. Alongside the bank of elevators there were two vending machines, one was filled to the brim with cans of ebony coffee and the other was stocked with potions, elixirs, antidotes, phoenix down, and more.

Ignis blinked hard. “Am I the only one seeing this?” he asked as he approached the machine full of ebony. It was ridiculous how much he missed it.

“Well if it’s an illusion, I’m seeing it too,” said Gladio.

Extending a hand until it touched the glass Ignis let out a sigh when he felt the thrum of the inner mechanism keeping the product chilled over these past years. Illusion or not, it couldn’t hurt to see if it still worked. What was a few more minutes?

Pulling his wallet out he found a five gil note and slid it into the feeder. It rejected the bill straight away, so ignis rubbed it against the side of the machine to flatten it before trying again. When it spat the bill out a second time Ignis was sure this was a ploy of Ardyn’s to fuck with him. Still…

As he was looking through his wallet for a crisper bill the sound of safety glass shattering made him jump. Turning toward the vending machine full of curatives he found one of the nearby lounge chairs lying on the floor in a pile of sparkling glass. Crunching through the rubble Gladio and Prompto began pulling out bottles and feathers before banishing them into the armiger one after the other.

While Prompto finished looting the machine Gladio picked up the chair and motioned for Ignis to move aside before raising the piece of furniture and smashing it through the glass as well.

Rolling his eyes, Ignis patted the larger man’s shoulder. “A bit crude, but effective. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said before snatching the bill out of Ignis hand and tucking it in his pocket.

Stepping forward, ignis began to load the armiger with a few cans of ebony while they were there. He wasn’t sure how much it could actually hold (or if this was really the appropriate use for it), but he was willing to test it if it meant a supply of coffee for a while.

The three of them never even heard the elevator ascending to their floor before the arrow above it illuminated with a ding and the doors began to open.

Dropping everything they were holding to the floor and calling their weapons, they readied themselves for an attack.

Ravus stepped out and froze at the scene of three Crownsguardsmen standing in a pile of glass and two ravaged vending machines. He looked from one to the other and down to what was left of the potions and coffee at their feet before scoffing and shaking his head. “Honestly, you’re walking around with a living breathing skeleton key to this place and you’re still smashing things to gain access.”

The three of them looked at one another before Prompto just shrugged. “Don’t look at me, the chair was Gladio’s idea.”

Ravus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Lucians.”

“What are you doing here?” Gladio asked, picking up the last of the potions.

“I would imagine the same reason you’re here. I was invited.”

Ignis chewed his lip. It was clear enough that it was a trap when the tree of them were invited, but Ravus’ presence added another level of uncertainty. The former high commander may have helped him in Altissia, but he had also attacked them on several occasions too. “Do you have any clue as to what this might be about?”

Ravus shook his head. “I can’t be certain, but if Ardyn is leading us where I think he is then it can’t be good. There were parts of this facility that even I didn’t have access too.”

The speaker overhead squealed again. _“Oh lovely, I was hoping your plus one would arrive,”_ Ardyn said in an overtly polite voice. _“Now the party can really start. Right this way please.”_ The doors on the opposite side of the room beeped and hissed open.

Lacking any other choice, the four of them entered.

The space looked like an employee lounge, long since abandoned. Streamers hung from the walls, faded, but words like ‘success’ and ‘victory’ were still legible. One long table to one side of the room was covered with plates of rotted, moldy food. The punch bowl long since evaporated.

“This all looks like it’s been here since Insomnia fell,” said Gladio.

Prompto wrinkled his nose at the lingering smell. “Well… he did say there would be food.”

Walking through the space they followed a corridor before coming upon one room with windows lining one side and security monitors on the other. It was the first space they’d come upon that had clearly been used recently. “I suppose this was how he watched us,” said Ignis.

Prompto and Ravus were standing on the other side of the room, frozen at the sight. “G-guys.”

Ignis and Gladio gazed through the window to the room beyond. It was an enormous space, large enough to hold a dreadnaught. But instead of holding a Niflheim airship it held row upon row of large green tubes. Inside each was the silent form of a woman, arms crossed and eyes closed. Barcode clearly tattooed on each right wrist.

“Lunafreya…” Ravus said in a whisper before his fists clenched. He stormed past the other three, nearly knocking Gladio over in the process as he entered the enormous space and yelled. “Ardyn! You son of a bitch. How dare you use Luna’s image like this?”

The sound of footsteps on scaffolding above drew their attention upward. Ardyn walked out, dressed in his refinery as usual, but his face was ashen and blackness oozed from his mouth and yellowed eyes. He pouted. “Oh, come now. Why so rude? I thought you would be overjoyed to see your dearly departed sister again.”

The three of them had never seen Ravus so furious as the former high commander walked up to the nearest capsule and looked at the contents with a mixture of sorrow and disgust. “Why… Why would you even do this?”

“Me?” Ardyn said, taking his hat off and holding it to his chest. “Sadly, no. I lack the skills needed to produce life. The late Doctor Besithia on the other hand… Well, after his first batch of clones was an utter _failure_ ,” he shot a poignant look at Prompto, who shrank slightly under the gaze, “He thought he would try a more potent DNA strand. Something more powerful, readily available to the Niflheim empire, and less likely to have any anomalies. One from an oracle perhaps.”

“You’re a monster,” Ravus snapped.

Ardyn bowed and returned his hat to his head. “Guilty as charged.” He made his way down the metal walkway toward a control panel on the upper level. “Given all of your close nature with the donor, I suspected you would want to see her used to her full potential. Now that they’ve become fully viable they’re candidates to become a whole new batch of MT’s. I do look forward to seeing if any of them poses a connection to the Astrals as Luna did. It is a shame that the young Prince Noctis was absent for this. I suppose he’ll have to meet them when he returns.”

Touching the screen near the main pillar, the control panel illuminated. Ardyn pushed a few buttons and a thrum of a reactor coming online made the very floor vibrate.

A tightness welled up within Prompto the more Ardyn spoke. These poor clones were about to meet the same fate that was meant for him years ago and he was helpless except to watch. Wracking his brain he tried to think of what he could do to save them. He was running out of time.

Summoning his guns impulsively, Prompto took aim at Ardyn and fired. The sound of the shot echoed off the walls of the facility as Ardyn faltered in his step. Aiming to fire again Ignis just put a hand on his forearm and lowered his gun. “It won’t do any good, Prompto. Trust me.”

“Then what do we do? He’s going to make monsters out of them.”

None of them were paying attention to Ravus as he found an auxiliary panel on the lower level and began pushing buttons furiously on his own. The clone in the tubes around him began to move as the stasis they’d been kept in for years began to relinquish its hold. Ardyn was taking his sweet time with whatever he was doing, but Ravus beat him to the punch.

The lights inside the tubes suddenly shifted from green to red as a mechanical overhead voice called, _“Purge sequence activated.”_

Ardyn looked down on the ex-commander with mild surprise and amusement. “Well now, Ravus. This is a surprise. I wasn’t aware you had your access still.”

“I won’t let you do this. Luna is dead. Gone. I’ve come to terms with that. These… These _things_ are not her. They’re an abomination and I would rather them die then to serve your purpose.”

Ardyn scoffed. “Please. You lack the testicular fortitude to _protect_ your sister so I’m certain you don’t have enough to kill her.”

Prompto shifted the barrel of his gun from Ardyn to Ravus. “Stop,” he pleaded. “Don’t do it. There has to be another way.”

Ignis and Gladio stood shocked.

“Prompto… Put the gun down.”

“What are you doing?”

Ravus shot him glare, mismatched eyes seething with fury. “You shut your mouth. Don’t let your own issues cloud what’s happening here. If these abominations aren’t aborted they’ll only become more pawns for the empire. Hundreds if not thousands will die at their hands. Do you want that? You pitiful, sentimental, clo-”

Three shots rang out and everyone in the room (except Ardyn) held their breath. Lowering the metallic arm he’d held up to shield himself he checked his torso for wounds but found none. He scoffed. “And here I thought you were a marksman.”

Ardyn clapped slowly. “My my, you may have missed your calling young man.” He looked down at Prompto. “You would have made a fine imperial sniper.”

Prompto lowered his gun. “If I wanted to shoot you, you’d be dead.”

The sound of glass cracking brought attention back to the capsule adjacent to Ravus. The sensors above it fluctuated wildly before the leaking bullet holes cracked further and the entire container gave way. The female clone slid out on to the floor motionless.

Ravus didn’t even bend down to check for a pulse. “Enough of this.” Pushing down one final button, an alarm sounded and all the clones one by one began to tremble in their containers.

“No!” Prompto cried and ran forward.

Gladio grabbed him by the waist and held him back as the forms began to deform and almost melt into the fluids around them before being sucked up through the tubes at the top of their containers and into the bowels of the facility.

Prompto sagged in Gladio’s arms. This was twice now he’d seen a room full of clones destroyed. These weren’t monsters, they were people. People who could have lived the life he had. It was hard at times, but it was a _life_. An existence now denied to them forever.

Ravus stepped over the soaked naked form beneath him towards the others before the ground began to rumble. Ardyn remained stable atop his perch as the diamond plating beneath their feet shook and clattered as if an earthquake had struck the building. The four of them lost their footing as the flooring immediately beneath them heaved, throwing plates of metal aside with them along with it.

Vines covered with finger length thorns wove their way through the gaps in the metal, pulling upward and grasping railings and beams with the dexterity of a tentacle as more of the mass emerged from the floor.

Somehow managing to find their footing the four of them stood up and summoned their weapons. “What the fuck is that thing?” Gladio yelled over the sound of scraping metal.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry Ravus. I suppose the directions on the auxiliary panel weren’t very well labeled,” Ardyn called down from his overlook, looking mighty pleased with himself.

“What?” said Ravus as the vines began to pull up something bigger from beneath the floor.

“Well, you see, I may have altered the programing slightly so that ‘purge’ didn’t actually mean to euthanize the batch of clones, but instead to transfer them into one host daemon we’ve had set aside.” He shrugged. “Silly me. Such an egregious oversight on my part.” He slapped his own wrist. “Naughty, Ardyn.”

A thick trunk of thorns emerged from the floor, a tight blue blossom at its center. As it started to open the rows upon rows of teeth like spines beneath the azure petals became evident. At its center emerged a feminine form, devoid of any identifying features such as a face, nipples, or hair. The ‘teeth’ around its thighs undulated inward as it silently lolled within the blossom like a dancer in slow motion.

Prompto swallowed hard and raised his gun at it. Ignis, Gladio, and Ravus flanked him with their weapons drawn too. Ravus took a step, shifting a hunk of thrown metal with his foot. At the sound the feminine form whipped her head toward him and the briar of vines gained a life of their own.

After that the world erupted into chaos.

Like a hydra of myth, every time they managed to slash away a lashing vine two came in to replace it. The blossom didn’t seem to move much other than to follow the sounds of their movements around the room.

At one point it managed to grab Ignis by the calf and hoist him off the ground, digging its thorns into his skin as it did.

Gladio and Ravus were getting cornered by the briar and were unable to lend aid as Ignis was slowly pulled toward the center of mass. Dangling over the creatures ‘mouth’ he heard a few shots ring out as Prompto managed to land a some well aimed bullets into the creature’s trunk. Letting out a hiss of pain the daemons’ grip on Ignis’ leg loosened.

There, dangling over the gaping maw of death, Ignis managed to come up with a plan. Despite its color and terrifying beauty, this creature had many similarities to the malboro’s they’d battled in the past. He yelled across the room while he fumbled for a fire flask. “Prompto, keep firing at the trunk. You’re hurting it. Gladio, distract it from me for a few seconds.”

They’d fought together long enough at that point to not need any further instruction. Getting on one knee, and summoning a second gun Prompto began to fire rapidly from both barrels. Gladio, on the far side of the room, gave his sword a tremendous circular swing, decimating all the thorny vines within his general vicinity.

Shrieking in pain, the creature opened its maw wider, giving Ignis the opening he needed. Kissing the flask for good luck, Ignis threw the triple cast fireaga spell right down the creatures craw.

Preparing himself for the inevitable pain, Ignis sliced the vine holding his foot making him fall onto the patch of thorns below. They drew blood along his back immediately, but Ignis didn’t have time to wallow in pain. Scrambling to the ground he managed to get just far enough from the center before the first fireaga spell went off.

At first, he thought it didn’t work when the creature only paused, smoke emanating from its core.

When the second spell went off, the whole creature split along its trunk, burning violently from within with a hiss and pop like wet logs burning on a fire.

The third blast was the finishing blow, erupting through the cracks the second blast and incinerating several feet radiating around the trunk.

As the daemon flower burned to the ground the entire form began to dissolve into the deep purple miasma they’d seen thousands of times. But their relief was short lived as Ardyn warped down from his location right into the center of the cloud.

To Ignis’ side, Prompto’s step faltered and he sank to the ground. “Iggy… antidote.”

Bending down next to the gunslinger, Ignis used on of their newly acquired remedies. It was only then that Ignis noticed the green splashes of sap along Prompto’s forearm.

Noticing the same on his own coat, he stripped it off and tossed the ruined garment aside.

“I must thank you, gentlemen,” Ardyn said as the dark particles of mist began to swirl around him. “It has been rather difficult these past few years since our little quarrel last time. All the energy I’d managed to absorb over the better part of two millennia was dashed, and absorbing only the occasional daemon in my travels wasn’t revitalizing me as much as I would have liked.”

By now the miasma was being pulled toward him, swirling up his sleeves and beneath his coat. The more it did the more color returned to Ardyn’s face and the black ooze around his mouth and eyes began to retreat. The four of them watched helplessly, not knowing what they could even do as Ardyn finished absorbing the last of the mist, leaving the space around him broken from the fight, but empty of the floral daemon that had occupied it.

Ardyn let out an energized sigh and shrugged his jacket around him. “Ahhh, that was rejuvenating. Thank you for taking care of that for me. In the state I was in I think that creature might have been too strenuous for me to put out of its misery.  I am in your debt, gentlemen. Because of your efforts I’m nearly back to my old self.”

As exhausted as he was, Ravus still managed to raise his sword and charge the Chancellor with all the fury he held. He vaulted off a chunk of rubble and came down hard enough with his blade to cleave any normal man in half, but Ardyn just waved his arm dismissively and a purple flash of energy blew Ravus back. He rolled along the floor for a distance before stabilizing himself.

Spitting a mouthful of blood to the side, Ravus glared at him. “If it’s the last thing I do, I will see you dead for good. Mark my words.”

Ardyn readjusted his hat on his head. “If you insist, but if that is your intent I would leave this place while you have the chance. I held the creatures of the night as bay to allow your safe passage, but once I’m gone they might not be so keen on leaving you alone. His Imperial Magesty, Iedolas Aldercapt is still stalking these halls too. Prey you get out before he finds you, among others.”

Gladio looked at Ignis, “The Emperor? I thought he was dead.”

Ardyn turned toward the corridor at the edge of the room, purple miasma still wafting behind him. “Do give my regards to His Highness, Noctis, when you see him. I do look forward to meeting him again in Insomnia. Farewell till then.” The metallic doors sealed closed behind him and locked.

Almost immediately after his departure, the ground began to thrum and pools of darkness started opening up in the floor. “It appears our welcome has expired,” Ignis said, helping Prompto to his feet. “It would be prudent to make our exit.”

Prompto struggled in Ignis grip. “Her… We need to take her too.”

“That abomination?” Ravus spat. “But it-”

“Please,” Prompto pleaded. “Don’t leave her in this place.”

Ignis tilted his head toward the woman, still unmoving on the floor where she fell. “Gladio, if you would. We’ll figure out what to do with her later.”

Ravus averted his eyes as Gladio walked over and picked her up.

“Ravus,” said Ignis. “I know we don’t see eye to eye on many things, but we need to get out of here and we need your help. Do you know an expeditious route?”

Grumbling to himself, the ex-commander just started walking at a brisk pace. “If we can get back to the basement there’s a loading dock that was left open, it’s now I got in. I have a small Niff transporter that we should all be able to fit.”

“Lead the way.”

~

Thankfully they managed to make it to the ship without too much daemon intervention. Ravus agreed to take them as far as Lestallum in his ship, though his displeasure in doing so was evident. He didn’t like them, and he liked the silent form in Gladio’s arms even less.

Once they made it to the ship and were air born Prompto found a wool blanket near a first aid kit and wrapped her in it. Surprisingly enough she was breathing, though not conscious. “What are we going to do with her?” Prompto asked.

“ _Now_ you think of that?” Gladio said. “It was your idea to take her.”

Ignis hung up the phone with Wedge, letting them know that they didn’t need to hold the train any longer. “It might be wise for us to contact The Immortal. He has more experience with spiriting away property of the Empire than we do.”

“Yeah…” Prompto looked at her contemplatively. Physically she looked about as old as they were, maybe a little younger. It was strange enough seeing his own image in those tubes years ago, but to see Luna, someone he’d admired so much from afar… like this. “What do we call her?”

Ignis put his fingers to his chin contemplatively as he looked out the small windows of the air carrier. The sky was clear above the usual layer of clouds and the night sky sparked with a diamond coated blanket of stars. “What about ‘Stella’?”

Gladio shrugged, trying not to move her too much. “Sounds good to me.”

“Yeah,” Prompto smiled weakly. “It suits her.”

Silently at the front of the ship, Ravus’ knuckles went white as he gripped the console.

 

~X~X~X

This was surprisingly difficult to write. Battle scenes are not my strong suite. This whole chapter is mostly thanks to the collaboration work with Goldslactuar on discord. Please leave a comment and perhaps suggestions as to what you might like the boys to get up to for the remaining six years or so until Noctis returns.

Thank you everyone for sticking around this far. ^3^ More to come soon.

 


	9. Always Lock The Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys get used to having a fourth party in their midst.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 9

~4.3 years~

 

Artificial light shone through the frosted window along the far side of the small bedroom wall. Dim at first before slowly filling the room with the backlight of the LED blubs. The window was thickly framed and hung from a sturdy screw against a wall that had no worldly reason for having a window there at all considering there was only a bathroom on the other side of it.

The faux window was a simple but brilliant invention of Prompto’s. Made essentially out of a light board he found in an old art shop, some creatively laid framing, a digital dimmer switch, and an art hanging kit it almost gave the impression of a sunrise.

So far it had been the best method of maintaining some sort of diurnal sleep cycle for the three of them. Prompto was working with Cid to try and make a few more in their free time.

Gladio rolled over to one side of the bed and wrapped his arm around one of the warm bodies next to him. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was Ignis. His aftershave mingled with the underlying scent of clean cotton as he buried his nose into the nape of the other man’s neck. Ignis shifted in his grasp and interlaced his fingers with Gladio’s.

“What time did you get in last night?” Gladio asked.

Taking a deep slow breath, Ignis stretched in his grasp. “Around two in the morning, I think.”

“What were you up to?”

He yawned and spoke through it. “You know how Sania’s ribbons have been used to ward most status effects?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, she’s working on a secondary type that slows the affects of the Starscourge. It’s still untested on humans and the ingredients come most dear, but we managed to finish one before the night was out.” Rolling over slightly, he ran his fingers through Gladio’s mane and kissed him along his jaw. “The late nights will be worth it in the end, I’m sure. Human trials might start next week.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” He kissed him back. “Especially since I don’t know how you managed to climb over the two of us without me noticing. Some body guard I am.”

Shifting so he was further encompassed by warmth, Ignis unintentionally rubbed against Gladio’s morning erection, earning an appreciative hum from the shield. “Hmmmm, well you did spend the better part of yesterday helping Holly finish the assembly on the greenhouse, correct? I’d imagine moving all that metal and glass was rather exhausting.”

Running his hand up the front of Ignis’ shirt Gladio wrapped his fingers around the strategists neck, not hard, but enough to pull him close enough to lay a heated kiss just under his jaw line. The pressure on Ignis’ throat wasn’t entirely unintentional, however. Gladio had learned over the last few months that the royal advisor liked a little rough play now and again. Nothing too intense, but enough to relinquish a hint of control.

Gladio was rewarded with a more intentional hip rub into his erection and a broken breath as he raked a tooth along his pulse. “Not so exhausting that I don’t have some energy left. How you feeling this morning?”

Humming, Ignis rolled onto his side so that they were facing one another. “Lazy, but willing. I am a little sore from last time though.”

Prompto chuckled sleepily from behind Gladio. “Sorry bout that. Got carried away.”

Ignis scoffed. “Well with _your_ toys its difficult not to.”

Looking over his shoulder to the naked blonde man sprawled out next to him, Gladio shot an accusatory glare. “Having fun without me again?”

Rolling his eyes, Prompto apologized by reaching over the larger man’s hip and slipping a hand beneath the fabric of his boxers. “Sorry, Big Guy, but if we always waited for the three of us to all be home at once we’d never get laid.”

Ignis cut off Gladio’s moan with a kiss as Prompto’s skilled fingers began to work him to full arousal. This time it was Gladio’s turn to be lavished with attention as Prompto leaned in and nibbled his earlobe. “I’m not too sore if you’d like someone to use this on.” Gladio answered with a groan as he bucked up into Prompto’s hand. “But let’s take care of Iggy first. He’s had a long night.”

Gladio just nodded as Prompto released his grip and crawled over him, pushing Ignis down to his back before kicking away the comforter and pressing their bodies together. He kissed him deep, but lazily. Taking special care not to slip and fall into the gap between the bed and wall (that happened two weeks ago, he got stuck).

The bed was small for the three of them, but after sharing a tent and caravan for so long the cozy quarters were hardly an issue. Especially since one of the futons in the living room had been occupied over the past few months.

Prompto’s kisses slowly broke away from the strategist’s lips and moved further south as his hands roamed the toned expanse of Ignis’ scarred skin. Once Prompto was far enough south Gladio resumed where he’d left off and ran a thumb firmly along Ignis’ pulse before kissing him again. He didn’t even have to look down to know when Prompto took Ignis in his mouth, he could feel it in the heartbeat under his fingers and the telltale sway of the mattress.

Between the two of them Gladio knew Ignis wouldn’t last long, and Prompto was _very_ good at what he did. Who needed coffee when you had blowjobs to wake you up?

Soon Ignis grasped Gladio’s wrist and pulled it upward, a silent request as his breathing became labored. Gladio increased his grip slightly and sucked on Ignis’ lower lip as the strategist tensed up in is arms.

Releasing his grip a few seconds later, Gladio finally broke the kiss and glanced down to see Prompto wiping his swollen lips with the back of his hand. “What about you, Gladdy? What do you want for breakfast?” He crawled back up Ignis’ torso, so that his chin rested on his sternum.

Ignis silently combed his fingers through blond hair in a silent thank you for a job well done.

Gladio smirked and scooted away from the warm body next to him to grab the vial of lube and a condom from the night stand. “Stay just like that and hang on to something.”

Prompto wrapped his arms under Ignis’ ribs and winked at him.

Rolling his eyes Gladio applied a liberal amount of lube to his fingers before stepping around the small room until he was behind Prompto. He took a moment to appreciate the view with the artificial window backlighting the whole scene. His two lovers sprawled out before him, one in post orgasmic bliss and the other waiting for him. Even in these dark times it was hard to ask for more.

“Eos to Gladio,” Prompto mocked over his shoulder.

Blinking, Gladio brought himself back to what he was doing and got a good grip of round flesh beneath one hand before sliding down the freckled crack with the lubricated one. He teased the normally taught flesh, but was surprised to find it more yielding than usual.

He pushed a finger in easily and was pleased to hear the pleasurable mewl from the blonde beneath him. “Well someone’s prepared. This your doing, Ignis?”

“Partially,” the strategist smirked and threw his free arm behind his head lazily. “But like I said, Prompto has some impressive toys.”

“Oh yeah?” He inserted another finger and hooked them how he knew Prompto liked it before thrusting slowly up to the knuckle. “Getting tired of us so soon?”

“Nothing,” Prompto gasped. “Nothing replaces the real thing. Not really. Although… fuck yeah, right there… This new one I got has a nice fat knot on it.”

Gladio’s fingers paused. “What the hell is a knot?”

Ignis waved a hand. “Don’t ask.”

Adding a third finger, Gladio chuckled as Prompto pressed his forehead into Ignis’ chest. “You’re into some crazy shit, you know that Prom?”

Prompto chuckled into Ignis’ skin. “You have no idea. Now stop talking and fuck me.”

Withdrawing his fingers, Gladio rolled on the condom. “Well, since you asked so nicely.” Lining up he thrust forward with a snap of his hips hard. The mattress thumped against the wall hard before Ignis reached up and stuffed a pillow in the gap. “Thanks Iggy,” Gladio said before thrusting forward again, the slap of skin on skin audible beneath Prompto’s breathy gasps.

After a few minutes, Prompto propped himself up onto his elbows and began to push back as Gladio came forward. The coil of orgasm was already winding itself up in earnest between the two of them as they slapped together.

It was often like this between the gunslinger and shield. Despite their size difference it was always a mock game of chicken, seeing how far they could push or tease each other. With previous lovers Gladio always had to reign in his strength for fear of hurting the other person, but with Prompto, he always asked for more.

Getting caught up in the moment with his own orgasm surging toward the front, Gladio gave Prompto’s rump a firm slap, earning a pleasurable yelp from the blonde as the outline of his hand quickly presented itself on the pale flesh of his ass. “Gla-di-o…” Prompto clenched down as he came, coating Ignis beneath him.

A gasp from behind them caused everyone to freeze mid-thrust. Three pairs of eyes snapped toward the bedroom doorway.

Stella stood there in her oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, eyes wide and hand over her mouth.

“Shit,” Gladio hissed. At this angle she was directly behind him, so any move he would make would expose everyone else further. Thankfully, Ignis had the presence of mind to toss Gladio the towel from his shower the previous night. Gladio wrapped it around his waist, but was still lo to figure out how to cover the situation further.

“A-are you alright? I heard someone yell.” Blue-gray eyes darted from Prompto’s flushed face and to the others. “What are you doing?”

Thankfully Ignis cleared his throat. “Stella, could you wait in the living room please? We’ll be out in a moment to explain.”

Brows furrowed, she took another look at the situation and tilted her head. “Alriiiight…” She nodded and closed the door as she backed away.

The three of them let out a synchronized sign/groan when the door clicked. Gladio whispered, “Well…that was awkward.” Withdrawing from Prompto, he tossed the condom away. The mood was sufficiently killed anyway. “Prom, go talk to your sister. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Why do _I_ have to explain this to her?”

Gladio huffed. “Because I’m not talking to her until my hard-on goes away and Iggy looks like a glazed pastry.”

Ignis made a noise that sounded like something between humor and mortification, “Gladio!”

Prompto stood up and gave himself a quick wipe down with a towel before pulling on a pair of jeans. “Fine fine, I’m going. Don’t leave me hanging for long.” He gave Gladio a quick slap on the ass before leaving the room. “I’ll take care of that later. Promise.”

“You better.”

Prompto found Stella sitting quietly on one of the futons in the living room. Back straight and hands in her lap as if she was waiting outside the Principals office for a crime she was unaware she committed.

It had been almost six months since they brought her home. After recruiting Iris to get her some clothes and give her the basic walk through on how to use everything in the bathroom, the three men took over from there.

It was like a bad sitcom, _Three Men and a Clone_ , or something equally as corny. Only the set was about six-hundred cramped feet of apartment and a sprawling city filled past its capacity. Stella barely spoke at first and despite being physically in her early twenties she was like a child in her ignorance of basic things like ‘the stove is hot!’ or ‘no, that’s window cleaner, don’t drink it!’ and ‘maybe don’t go up to every stranger on the street and state that they look funny’.

The three of them were pulling their hair out on a regular basis over the course of the first two months. “ _Sorry, Dad, I’m never having kids,”_ Gladio was heard whispering on more than one occasion.

Thank the six, Stella seemed to have an intense ability to learn and absorb information and the ‘wayward toddler’ phase quickly passed as her understanding of the world and language expanded. Right now they were in the stage they started referring to as the ‘sheltered teen’.

Iris, on the other hand, was overjoyed to have a female around she could hang out with and have girl time with in-between hunts and missions. The guys were more than willing to let them have sleepovers and let Iris take her for a few hours to make some new clothes for the shop and paint nails.

While the guys always were down for a quickie in these short moments of freedom, more often than not they just ended up grabbing a desperately needed power nap.

“So…” Prompto sat down next to her, nervously rubbing his hands on his jeans. “Where to start?”

“Are you alright?” Stella asked, looking very concerned. “It sounded like you were in pain.”

Scratching the back of his head, Prompto let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, I’m fine. I mean it did hurt a little, but it also felt good. I mean it’s Gladio so it always a bit intense than it is with others but he can be a teddy bear sometimes too and…crap… I’m rambling.” Stella just looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “Okay, let me start over… umm… gods…”

“Am I in trouble?”

“No! No… not at all. It’s my fault for not keeping it down… or locking the door.” Running his hands over his face, Prompto tried to find a coherent way to explain. Thankfully, the bedroom door opened and a fully clothed Ignis emerged.

Prompto just looked at him with a pleading expression. _Help!_

“Good morning, Stella.”

“Morning, Uncle Ignis,” she said, still with a nervous tone.

They could blame Iris for teaching her to call Gladio and Ignis ‘Uncle’, though for some reason she left out the designator for Prompto. After that they just started telling anyone who asked that Stella was Prompto’s sister if the topic came up. It also curtailed the curious looks they got when people found out a single young woman was living in the same quarters as three grown men.

“Apologies about that,” Ignis said as plainly as if he were excusing himself for bumping into someone on the sidewalk. “That was not something we expected you to witness. We will lock the door in the future to prevent such a mishap.” Stella just nodded. “I suppose now is a good a time as any to explain what sex is and the intimacies involved. Do you have any questions before I get started?”

Stella was silent for a long moment before she let out a light chuckle. “Wait… _that_ was sex?” She let out a relieved sigh. “Oh, that looked so much different than it does in Iris’ magazines.”

 _“What about Iris?”_ Gladio called from behind the bedroom door.

Ignis didn’t pay him any mind. “Oh good, she did give you ‘the talk’ then?”

Stella nodded. “Yeah, a few weeks ago when we went to the market with Aranea. We were picking out underwear and Aranea said something about guys liking lace on a lady. I didn’t understand so Iris told me more when we got back to her apartment.”

The relief in the room was tangible.

Prompto flopped back onto the futon and called, “Gladio, I’m buying your sister whatever she wants next time I see her. Bless her and her blunt Amicitia nature.”

Straightening the glasses on his face, Ignis turned and made his way into the kitchenette. “Well, I believe Iris is helping Molly down at the greenhouse today. We should go down and help after breakfast. What would everyone like to eat?”

~

The greenhouse was bigger than any of them anticipated it to be.

Assembled largely from recycled glass doors and windows hauled in from the surrounding abandoned towns and settlements, nobody expected the people of Lucis to gather enough to assemble a building the size of a small warehouse.

Power for the UV lights were generated directly from the reactor itself and was subsidized with it’s fair share of small wind turbines. The fertile soil was hauled in truckload by truckload as well as the wood for the raised beds and pots. A few skilled tradesmen had even set up the irrigation system and temperature regulated ventilation. On top of that there were a surprising number of farmers from surrounding areas that took their supply of seeds with them along with the clothes on their back when the fled to Lestallum. All that combined with the sheer number of volunteers had the greenhouse up and running far in advance of the projected finish date.

The four of them found Iris and, surprisingly, Cor as well along with the other volunteers. The Immortal was screwing two-by-fours together for a raised bed while Iris was just finishing mixing some peat moss with compost. She lit up when she saw them and stashed her shovel.

“Hey!” she trotted over to them, going in to give her big brother a hug, but then thinking better of it when she realized she was coated in a fine layer of dirt. Iris and Gladio had patched things up after his injury, so they were back to being stubborn siblings again. She dusted her hands off on her jeans. “What brings you all here so early?”

Prompto shrugged. “Just wanted to see how it was going. Got anything planted yet?”

Iris turned around and gestured to the far wall of the room where there were already some beds and bins set up. “Yeah, I mean, Holly and Wiz know more than I do, but I think they started some potatoes in those trash cans this morning and Cid was keeping his fingers crossed on some corn. Keeps insisting he’s gonna have a decent whisky before he dies, but from what I read about the soil quality I don’t think corn is in the works. Maybe some kale instead.”

Despite the dirt, Gladio reached out and mussed his sister’s hair. “Listen to you, my little botanist. You’re living up to your namesake. Mom would be proud.”

Blushing, Iris pushed her brothers hand away. Their mother was a florist before Gladio was born and was ever buying more potted plants to add to the manor whenever the mood struck her. She’d always insisted on tending her own garden too, despite the fact that they had landscapers hired to do it. “Thanks, Gladdy, but I don’t think we have room for flowers. Pretty every inch of the beds is for edibles and medicinal herbs only.”

“Mind if I look around?” asked Stella, admiring the highly organized seed bank on the table.

Iris shrugged, “Sure. Just be careful in case someone left some tools around.”

“Thanks,” Stella said and started to wander between the long rows of rectangular wood and piles of soil.

Iris turned back toward her brother. “Now, tell me why you’re really here. You busted your ass all yesterday and Molly insisted you take the day off. What’s up.”

Gladio groaned. Iris could always see right through him. “Well for one, I wanted to thank you for being a friend to Stella and showing her the ropes. It’s nice to see her getting out more other than following us around in-between jobs.”

Iris waited for him to elaborate, but Gladio suddenly became more interested with his shoes, He scratched the back of his head, just like his father did on the rare moments when he was flustered.

Prompto chuckled, seeing a man his size being awkward. Taking pity on him, Prompto swooped in. “We also wanted to thank you for giving Stella ‘the talk’ a few weeks ago. She… umm… might have walked in on something this morning and I can’t tell you how relieved we were to not have to explain it to her in detail. Whatever you want for your birthday, it’s yours.”

Iris gave him an unreadable expression before looking at her brother and Ignis before looking back to Prompto and gasping. “Oh, Shiva’s tits, are you three sleeping together!?”

Prompto’s heart suddenly dropped into his stomach as the color drained from his face. Gladio glared at him and Ignis just closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

There was a pregnant moment of silence before Iris snorted and started to laugh so hard her eyes began to water. “Oh gods *snort* your faces.” She laughed for a good long moment before standing back up and wiping the tears from her face (which only smudged the dirt around further). “Guys, relax, I’ve suspected for a while now.”

Prompto whined. “Were we that obvious?”

Iris reached out and lightly punched his shoulder. Prompto winced and rubbed the sore spot. “Not really, but I know my brother and he’s always more amicable when he’s getting laid on the regular. Besides, he’s been giving you and Ignis bedroom eyes for… shit… years.”

“Language,” Gladio said firmly, but she just stuck her tongue out at him. Ignis stifled a chuckle.

“Want me to ask Stella if she wants to sleep over tonight to give you guys some space? Her hair’s been growing in quick and I think I might be able to trim it up to a pixie cut or something nice.”

Ignis let out a relieved sigh. “Iris, you are a national treasure.”

Smirking, she fended off the compliment. “Oh please, we love her around at the apartment. Whenever we’re not doing something she’s always busying herself tidying up or sharpening one of Cor’s weapons. Besides, it’s nice having a sort-of-sister to chat with. Cor is never much of a conversationalist.”

By now this whole conversation was sinking in to Gladio. “Wait… are you and Cor living together?”

Hearing his name mentioned, The Immortal looked up from his screw gun. “What happened now?”

Iris stood up straight with her chest out and shoulders back, sizing up her brother. “What of it? I’m a grown woman. What I do behind closed doors is none of your concern. Besides,” she shot another meaningful look at Ignis and Prompto, “you’re one to talk.”

Clenching and unclenching his hands, Gladio turned toward Cor ‘The Immortal’ Leonis, absolutely wafting big brother indignation as the Marshal looked at the group of them with a confused expression on his face (‘expression’ being a loose term for Cor).

Somehow sensing that her brother was about to commit murder, Iris stood between the two of them and held her hands out. “Gods, Gladio I’m joking. Shit. We split a duplex above the weapons shop. Different bathrooms and everything.”

“Sounds luxurious,” commented Prompto with a wistful look on his face. “Three guys and one girl sharing one bathroom is no fun.”

Iris lowed her arms. “Well, I could ask her if she wants to stay with us. I have a bunk bed and nobody uses the other half of it. Cor and I are gone half the time anyway. She’d essentially have the space to herself.”

“Oh no,” Ignis interjected. “We can’t intrude like that. It may be cramped, but Stella is our responsibility.”

Crossing her arms, Iris looked at the three of them seriously. “Have you asked _her_ if she likes being cooped up with you three? No offense, but I wouldn’t.”

“I…” Ignis paused, feeling mildly ashamed that he hadn’t taken Stella’s opinion into account. They’d treated her like a child for so long it was difficult to realize she was in fact a grown woman. A bit naive, granted, but an adult none the less. “I suppose we could ask her.”

“Hey Iris,” Prompto said, looking at the far side of the greenhouse. “I thought you said you guys weren’t planting flowers.”

Iris turned. “We aren’t. There wasn’t… oh!”

Growing up through the cobblestones along the far wall, where the soil had wedged its way between the bricks, were sylleblossoms. They were small, and just barely budding, but it was undeniable what they were. Following the path down the length of the greenhouse, they found Stella talking with Molly, unaware of the trail of blue flowers following her path.

“This ever happen before?” Iris asked in awe.

Ignis shook his head. “Not that we’re aware of. Then again there’s nowhere in the city conducive to plant growth other than here.”

“Well…” said Iris smiling broadly. “I think I know where Stella could work for a little while.”

 

~X~X~X

Thank you for reading this 100% self-indulgent crack chapter. Wrought with second-hand embarrassment and Iris fucking around with Gladio. I needed to write it. The spirit grabbed me again.

Thanks always to Goldslactuar for brainstorming with me on this. Honestly, her name should be a joint author, I swear.

Comments are always a great motivator for me to write more, so if you enjoyed it please let me know. You can also hit me up on Tumblr if you prefer that too ^_^


	10. You're welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dropping off some produce and booze at Hammerhead, the gang bumps into an old friend and the night takes a turn they weren't anticipating. (NSFW mfm)

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 10

~5 years~

 

“I still wish Iggy could come along,” said Prompto as they made their approach to Hammerhead. “I feel like it’s been forever since he’s been out here.”

“It has, but trying to pull him away from his duties is like pulling teeth.” Gladio shifted in his seat in the back of the box van and moved a case of tomatoes out of the way. They were bringing the first fresh supply of produce in _years_ to the Hammerhead outpost along with Stella, Iris, and Cor. They were also taking a few bunches of dried sylleblossoms as a token of morale.

Nobody could really explain why the blossoms started appearing within the confines of the greenhouse since Stella’s appearance, but Ignis theorized that it had something to do with the form of the Immortalis Ardyn intended her to become. Sania suspected it might have something to do with latent stem cells of some kind from the cloning process. Most, on the other hand, felt it to be magic; a token of faith graced by the Six as a sign of hope in the darkness.

Nobody had the heart or the facts to prove otherwise, so for the morale of the people, they rolled with it. It wasn’t hurting anyone, and Stella did have one hell of a green thumb, so who cared where they came from?

Despite the bountiful harvest delivery, that was not the primary purpose of their long trek to the outpost. Cid had taken a spill in his workshop the other day and broken his leg. He’d probably been on the floor for hours before Prompto found him when he went to drop off some machinery.

After a few phone calls and some serious cajoling to get Cid to leave his shop, they all agreed to take him to visit his old stomping grounds and stay with Cindy until he healed. Cor and Iris came too, hoping to find a few hunts to take care of while they were in the area. Stella came because she wanted to. She’d never been to Leide before.

Cor also said he would take her along on a level one hunt if there were any available. “Baby steps,” he’d said. He’d been training her in basic hand to hand combat and she’d been doing well, but there was still a lot of endurance and strength training to do before she got anywhere near Iris’ level.

They heard Cid yelp in the passenger seat up ahead as they rounded a corner and hit a pothole. “Five fuckin’ years,” he cursed, “and you’d think someone would fill that crater in. It was there when the sun was up for Six sake.”

“The world has higher priorities now, Old Man,” said Cor flatly. “Besides, were here.”

Finally pulling into the parking area of Hammerhead, they listened as the sliding chain-link fence closed behind them. A thin veil of security combined with the beaming spotlights to keep the daemons at bay.

The box truck hadn’t even come to a full stop when they heard the familiar peal of a whistle and Cindy yelling “Paw Paw!” from the other side of the lot. As they loaded out of the truck the first thing that struck them was that Cindy hadn’t changed one bit, except now she wore long jeans and she’d acquired a jacket that actually fit. Her hair was longer now too, tied back in a sloppy braid.

She turned toward the rest of them and beamed. “Thanks for bringing him back, y’all. I knew he wouldn’t stay away forever.” She gave Cor a hand getting him out of the truck and handed him the crutches. “I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

Gladio already had a bag of potatoes over his shoulder, “No problem, Cindy. Where do you want these?”

“Oh, just bring em around back to Takka. He’s already made room in the root cellar. Hey, Gladio would you actually mind giving me a hand getting him up the stairs to the loft?”

“No problem.”

Between the four of them Prompto, Gladio, Iris, and Stella managed to get the whole truck worth of gear down to the cellar except for one final case that Prompto brought up to Takka himself. “Special delivery,” he said, laying it on the bar.

The cook looked down at the case and grinned broadly, “Is that what I think it is?”

Prompto nodded. “Lestallum Vodka, a whole case. We’ll try and bring a box or two every few months provided we have enough potato peels to make it.

Takka withdrew a bottle and gave it a once over. “Is it any good?”

Prompto made a sour face. “Gods no. It’s awful. I would save it for only the truly desperate and those who need a limb sawed off.”

Takka pulled out a bottle. “I’ll put one aside for you guys for later. I think I might have a can of Bloody Mary mix hidden somewhere to mix it with.”

Holding up double finger guns, Prompto thanked him before the others made their way in. Gladio, Cindy, and her grandfather were absent, but Prompto suspected they were getting settled in.

Takka greeted them.

“We’ll take a round of whatever your special is please,” said Iris, sliding into one of the bar stools.

The cook nodded. “Commin’ right up.”

Whatever stew Takka put in front of them wasn’t half bad considering it was mostly comprised of rehydrated or canned ingredients. The meat, maybe garula, at least seemed fresh. “It’s a shame Ignis isn’t here,” said Iris, finishing off her food. “He could steal this recipe too.”

Sliding his bowl away, Prompto patted his stomach. “Yeah, well Iggy’s a busy man nowadays. He would have loved to make it, but he has a meeting with the Mayor of Lestallum and Director of Public Health, among others. He and Sania are going to plead their case to get some volunteers for human trials for their starscourge treatment.”

Iris’ brow furrowed. “Sounds risky.”

Prompto nodded. “It is. I watched them make a few ribbons last month. Iggy’s been working with hunters and bootleggers to get in daemon remains and samples from mutated animals into the city for testing, so some of the ingredients are pretty volatile stuff. It’s an big risk, but some people who have early signs of the scourge have already volunteered.”

Stella chewed the last of her food solemnly. “So… its risk death to be cured or become a monster anyway.”

A familiar voice came from the doorway. “Sounds like you’re damned if you do or you’re damned if you don’t.”

All eyes turned toward the doorway. “Aranea!” Iris jumped up with delight, ran over, and gave the bounty hunter a hug.

Aranea smiled and hugged back awkwardly. “Well… that’s a greeting I don’t get often. How you doing, Kiddo?” The seasoned hunter was clad in a more casual outfit of jeans and a leather jacket. If it wasn’t for her hair the others might not have recognized her at all out of her armor.

“Good. Cor and I just dropped Cid off. We’re going to try and get some hunts tomorrow while we’re in the area.”

The bounty hunter looked up at the rest of them. “Evening. Wasn’t expecting to see you lot so far from the big city. It’s been a while.” Her eyes landed on Prompto for a long moment before turning to Stella. “Hey, Pickle. How old are you now?”

Despite the awkwardness Prompto felt at the question, not to mention the nickname, Stella seemed familiar with it. “Almost fifteen months now, I think.”

Waving her hand at the young woman, Aranea closed the distance between the group. “Just keep telling people you’re twenty-two. It won’t be the first time a lady lied about her age. Speaking of age…” she took a few steps over to the far stool where Cor was sitting quietly and ran a few fingers over the back of his scalp. “Happy belated birthday, Mr. Leonis. What are you now, thirty-one?”

Cor shot her a look that would have made most men wince, but Aranea simply turned her fingers to his shoulders instead.

“A hundred and thirty-one? I never can tell with you Immortals. Your type age like a fine wine.”

Prompto watched as Aranea’s flirts fell on deaf ears. Despite the bounty hunters lack of subtlety, it didn’t seem like anything she said would have been taken as offensive. He wondered what was up with Cor.

Standing up, Cor reached over the bar and grabbed one of the bottles of vodka, turned heel, and marched out of the front door. He didn’t stop until he plopped himself down in one of the rickety plastic chairs outside the caravan. Pulling the cork out of the bottle with his teeth, he spat it off into the distance and took a big swig.

The room sat in awkward silence for a long moment, unsure how to react to the normally stoic man’s departure, until Gladio walked in. Noticing the crypt-like silence in the room, he followed everyone’s gaze until he saw Cor, taking another long swig from the bottle. “Something happen while I was gone?”

Everyone just shrugged.

“I have been doing this long enough,” started Takka, “to know the look of a haunted man. And he,” he gestured to Cor with his head, “is more haunted than most.”

Nobody said a word. Even Aranea withheld her usual quip.

Pulling out several glasses from under the bar, he slid one to each of them. “I have a feeling we might want to open up another bottle.” He started pouring vodka in each glass, withholding the last splash when Stella politely declined. “I have orange drink concentrate or Bloody Mary mix. Pick your poison.”

Several drinks later, Prompto was happy he’d gone with the canned tomato juice. The orange drink in front of Iris looked awful. She’d cringed after the first sip and declined more when Takka offered to top her off.

It was probably for the best. At least some of them should remain sober tonight.

As the hour ticked by, so did the drinks, and soon Iris and Stella excused themselves for the night. Takka gave them the key to the secondary small RV they’d parked out back.

“What do you two plan on doing for the evening?” said Aranea, sliding her stool around as she spoke. Occasionally her knee would brush up against Prompto’s, but he was already one out of three sheets to the wind, so he didn’t pay it any mind.

Prompto finished the last sip of his drink with a grimace before pushing it away and ordering a big glass of water. He was going to be feeling that in the morning. “Gonna crash at the haven across the street.”

“Isn’t that a little risky?”

Prompto shook his head. “The watch stander at the gate will turn on the auxiliary flood lights while we cross the road so no baddies get us. There’s already a tent set up at the haven.”

She smirked. “You guys have thought of everything.”

Gladio polished off his third (or fourth?) drink before pushing his away too. “What about you? Where are you crashing?”

Aranea looked over her shoulder wistfully. “Well I was going to offer Cor some birthday sex, but it doesn’t look like he’s in the mood at the moment.” Prompto snorted. He’d forgotten how refreshingly blunt the bounty hunter could be. “What do you suppose chapped his ass?”

They both shrugged.

Pushing herself away from the bar, Aranea waved at Takka. “Well, Gentlemen, I’m going to see if Cindy has an extra hammock or couch I can sleep on. Try not to get eaten. Kay?”

“Why not just crash with us?” Prompto said before he even though about what he was saying. “There’s room for at least four people in that tent. We would know.”

Gladio didn’t seemed bothered by the offer. She’d slept in the same tent them a few times before when she joined them for hunts while the sun was still up.

Aranea chewed on her lower lip, considering it for a moment. “Alright. Lead the way.”

Leaving a few gil on the counter for their tab, the three of them exited the diner.

Cor was still in the plastic chair, hunched over the small picnic table with his face buried in one arm, his free hand still loosely wrapped around the half empty bottle of liquor.

Gladio veered off toward him. “I’ll meet you guys at the haven. I’m gonna get the Marshall to bed.”

Prompto stopped. “Need help?”

He waved them away. “Nah. I got this. Go ahead. Be there in a few minutes.”

Hesitating only slightly, Prompto and Aranea continued on toward the tent.

Gladio wasn’t sure if Cor was sleeping or just passed out when he approached. Reaching out quietly, he slid the vodka bottle out of Cor’s fingers and stuffed a napkin in the neck to keep the bugs out before tapping the Marshall on the shoulder. “Hey… Hey c’mon. Let’s get you to bed.”

Cor slurred something and batted Gladio’s hand away. “Go ‘way, Clarus.”

Hearing his father’s name gave Gladio pause for a moment. Was the Marshall that drunk or was he dreaming? Either way wouldn’t surprise him. He tapped his back again. “Cor…”

Sitting bolt upright, Cor squinted at him in the ambient light of the spotlights. “Clarus, I said fuck…off…” He blinked hard looked like he was trying to focus. “When did you grow your hair out again?”

Gladio wasn’t sure what to say. Clearly Cor had drank way beyond a reasonable amount of their bootleg liquor. Maybe he was hallucinating? What else did they put in that stuff other than potato peels?

“Marshall… Sir… It’s me, Gladio. Dad’s… Clarus is gone. Remember?” It was easier for him to say it now than it was years ago. He’d had plenty of nights doing exactly what Cor was doing right now. Getting drunk, talking to ghosts, and forgetting sometimes how many were gone.

The reality of Gladio’s words slowly soaked back into the Marshall as his face contorted from annoyed to somber. He rubbed his eyes with his palms. “Sorry… Gladio. I know he’s gone. So is… So is Regis…and King Mors… and Noctis. Three generations I failed.”

Gladio put a hand on his shoulder and crouched down. “Noct isn’t gone. He’s just… He’ll be back before you know it.”

Cor scoffed and looked at Gladio directly. “Clarus was a better liar than you, Kid. Who knows when Noctis will return. Who knows _if_ he will return.”

Brow furrowing, Gladio squeezed his shoulder and stood up. “Alright, come on, lets get some water in you and-”

“He sent me away, you know… King Mors.” Cor started again, staring off in the distance to nothing. “Sent me to keep an eye on Reggie, but your father… Clarus said I was no shield. That I was just an impulsive kid playing with a sword. And fuck… he was right.”

“Marshall…”

“I ran off to prove myself. To do the trials with Gilgamesh. You saw the Blademaster yourself. I didn’t know what the fuck I was getting myself into. I should have died in there... Sometimes I think him letting me leave was the real punishment.” He grasped his sword arm hard as his voice began to crack. “After that, King Mors died. He died when I should have been protecting him. Then Regis…” he swallowed hard. “Reggie sent me away when he knew Insomnia might be attacked. I should have been there to. With him, with your father when… And now Noctis… my third King… you think he’ll send me away too? Or will I just fail him outright like I did the others?”

Long repressed tears started to flow down Cor’s cheeks as he whispered, “I’m fifty-one, Gladio… Fifty-one last week. I outlived Regis…Outlived another king I’d sworn to die for…”

Gladio didn’t say a word. He honestly wasn’t even sure if Cor was talking to him or talking to himself. Either way, he waited for Cor to continue talking. When he didn’t Gladio just silently put a hand under the Marshall’s elbow and helped him to his feet, steadying him as he led him back to the camper.

It was awkward to get him through the small door and up the steps while keeping him upright, but Gladio managed to get him as far as the sink before Cor was suddenly and violently sick. Thankfully the small sink caught most of it and for the moment Gladio was thankful that the Marshall had such a short-cropped hairstyle. He’d held hair back more than once for a sick friend, and he thanked the Six for small favors.

Filling up a glass of water from the small bathroom he made Cor drink it before getting him as far as the folding couch. It was vinyl and Gladio was able to prop Cor on his side just in case he threw up again. Pulling his boots off he set them aside before putting a small waste basket and another glass of water within reaching distance.

Leaving the bathroom light on as a beacon in case Cor needed it, Gladio slowly paused and looked at his childhood idol. He still had wetness on his cheeks, though Gladio wasn’t sure if it was from him crying or throwing up. Either way, Gladio briefly wondered if this was his future.

Would he fail Noctis? Would he someday be a Crownsguard member with no king to protect? Would he die at Noct’s side like his father? Maybe, if he was lucky, he would die and Noct would get away from whatever threatened them.

Yeah… that would be the way to go.

With a heavy sigh, Gladio closed the RV door. Instead of going straight to the tent, Gladio sat down in the chair Cor vacated, and took a big swig of the godsawful liquor before pulling out his phone and texted Ignis.

>Hey Iggy

>Sorry we didn’t text earlier. Got here safe.

>Bumped into Aranea.

>Probably heading back in 12 hours or so. Let us know if you need us to pick up anything from Hammerhead.

He paused for a long moment, nearly typing “miss you” before reconsidering. They were after all was said and done, still just friends…with benefits. Lots of benefits. But somehow the ‘miss you’ felt too sentimental. Instead he followed up with-

>Wish you could come too.

-and left it at that.

Already feeling the extra hit of alcohol hit him, Gladio tucked his phone away and decided to make his way to the haven across the street.

Waving at the gate guard Gladio waited till the flood lights came on before stepping through the gate and jogging to the haven. Thankfully the lights did their job and kept any baddies from making an unwanted appearance. When he reached the glowing rock the guard killed the light, plunging Gladio into darkness again.

It was then, in the silence of the camp, that he heard a gasp come from one of the pre-erected tents. Raising an eyebrow he padded his way closer to the tent the sound came from, briefly wondering if there was anyone else staying at the haven besides the three of them.

The flap was partially open, so he unzipped it the rest of the way to investigate.

If the alcohol wasn’t enough to dash the melancholia from Gladio’s mind, the view before him did.

~

In all honesty, Prompto really did just expect to crawl into the tent and go to sleep. Maybe play some mindless game on his phone until the alcohol and drowsiness overtook him.

Kicking off his boots and unrolling the provided sleeping bags, he slid into his sleeping bag before pulling his pants off under the covers. It was always what they did when they had an extra guest when they camped in the past. It was just polite, even if he was still in his boxers and they were all adults.

Aranea, on the other hand, had no such modesty.

Once her boots were off the snug jeans followed, revealing a black thong with red accents. Her jacket followed suit. Prompto swallowed hard, unsure what to say (if anything) as the bounty hunter went to pull up the hem of her shirt and paused when she realized Prompto was watching her. Hard.

She shot him a sky grin. “Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to stare?”

“S-sorry,” he stammered. Suddenly aware that he was already half hard in his boxers, but despite his apology he didn’t look away. Over the years Prompto had become more confident between his bedroom partners, men and women alike, but this was _Aranea Highwind_. A woman probably capable of murdering him with one swift kick. He swallowed hard again as she crouched and got on her knees at the foot of his sleeping bag.

Lowering her shirt, Aranea’s smirk grew wider as she reached behind and unclasped her bra. Doing some maneuver Prompto missed entirely, she managed to slip her bra straps over her arms without removing her shirt. Pulling the lace accessory from beneath the cotton of her shirt, she chuckled and tossed it in Prompto’s face. “Shit, Blondie, how drunk are you?”

His voice cracked when he tried to talk. “Not…Not too drunk.”

Leaning forward, Aranea ran a hand up Prompto’s shin and stopped when she reached his knee. Even in the dim light he could see the silhouette of her heavy breasts in her snug black t-shirt. She could have removed it completely, but somehow this was almost hotter. “You’ve filled out nicely over the years kiddo. In more ways than one.”

He swallowed, trying to focus on his words as blood rapidly began to pool southward. The remaining alcohol swimming through his mind was quelling the little voice in the back of his head that told him he should probably turn her down, or at the very least wait until Gladio got back to the tent in case something happened en route. But when her hands were about half way up his thighs he let out a lusty whine and she pounced.

Throwing open the sleeping bag like the cover of a book Aranea’s hands returned to his legs, tracing her thumbnails up his inner thighs before going wide of the tent in his boxers and moving higher. Her fingers were calloused, but pliable as she silently traced over his stretch marks, abs, and nipples as she slowly crawled up to his face.

At some point Prompto had propped himself up onto his elbows to meet her half way. Her strong thighs were on either side of his hips and he could feel heat radiating from her core as she ghosted against the cotton of his boxers.

Prompto’s eyes fluttered closed and his head lolled back as she lowered herself an inch and gave him an iota of the attention his cock was screaming for. Then her lips were on his exposed throat, slow and as hot as melted wax as they traveled up and over his jawline before finally capturing his mouth in hers. Prompto’s hips bucked up into her as he tasted the liquor and canned tomato juice on her tongue, but she kept her hips just high enough to keep him away from any relief.

It wasn’t until she gave a twist of her hips and ground down into him did the faint voice of logic come screaming through. “Wait,” he pulled away a few inches and moved his hands to halt her hips from moving further. Fuck, her strong but silky-smooth flesh beneath his fingers felt spectacular and so different than what he’d become accustomed to with Gladio and Ignis over the past year or so. “Wait wait…sorry.” He blinked hard and took a breath to compose himself. “All my condoms are in my bag in the truck. We can’t… I don’t want to risk getting you-”

She silenced him with a finger over his lips. “Do you honestly believe I would be initiating this if I wasn’t prepared?”

Prompto was silent for a moment, unsure of how exactly to respond as her finger traced down to the neck of his shirt and tugged on it. Accepting the wordless prompt to continue he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside as they resumed making out. Aranea didn’t seem like she was in any great rush as the minutes ticked away. Was she waiting for something?

Finally, Prompto’s libido was starting to outweigh his patience. Sitting up he managed to flip them over so that he was on top of her, his still contained cock rubbing against her thong earnestly as he lifted her shirt up to her collar bones. Aranea smirked at him in the dim light of the tent. “Well, it’s about time. I like it when guys are a little forcef-ohhh!” Her words died on her lips as Prompto took one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked _hard_ while his other hand squeezed the heavy flesh of the other.

If she wanted a little forceful, he was more than happy to oblige. It wasn’t often he got to wear that mantle.

After teasing her nipples long enough he slid his face down her abs, tracing his tongue along the well-defined muscle beneath creamy skin. Just before he hooked her thong with his fingers did he notice that she had her share of stretch marks too. He smirked at the thought that Aranea was a little pudgy too at some point before pulling the lacy fabric down. It had been a little while since he gave a woman oral, but when he began running his tongue through the sensitive folds and found her swollen nub her pleasant hums let him know that he wasn’t as rusty as he thought.

It didn’t take long before strong thighs began to tremble and occasionally clench down around his head as her fingers twined in his hair. Pulling up for a moment he licked his fingers before inserting two and curling them upward as he worked. It didn’t take long before he was hitting the sweet spot and Aranea’s thighs and abs began to tremble in earnest. She was pulling on his hair hard enough to hurt, but he didn’t stop until she gave a light gasp and started clenching down around him. Instead of backing away he increased his pace and added another finger, hopefully riding this wave for a few more seconds if he could.

It seemed to work, because once the trembles abated Aranea lolled her head back and let out a light giggle.

Prompto had never heard Aranea Highwind giggle before. Must be the endorphins.

Finally loosening the grip in his hair, Aranea looked up at him. “Wow, not bad Blondie. Where did you learn - oh hello handsome.”

Prompto turned to see Gladio crouching in the arch of the tent entrance, eyes wide and face unreadable. “Prompto… how could you?”

Aranea’s brow creased as she glanced from one man to the other. Did she miss something?

“-Start without you?” Prompto shrugged innocently with his head resting on the inside of Aranea’s thigh. “Sorry. Things sort of just…happened. In or out man, you’re letting all the warm air out.”

Licking his lips, Gladio stepped in and zipped the tent closed behind him. “Cor’s down for the count, but I got him to bed.”

Aranea shrugged. “His loss is your gain, I suppose.” Still lying down she ran a hand up Gladio’s denim covered thigh until she reached the growing bulge beneath. Palming it generously she said, “Want us to deal you in?”

Gladio just nodded and pulled his sweatshirt and tank over his head before unbuttoning his jeans. He’d always admired Aranea. She was fierce, brave, skilled, maybe a little tactless as times, but he still respected her blunt honesty. He’d also admired how she filled out every inch of that dragoon armor. He’d respected her too much to simply ask for sex during their trip years ago, besides he’d had other things to attend to. But with she and Prompto bared naked before him and offering, who was he to say no?

Meanwhile Prompto was already retrieving the condoms from the back pocket of Aranea’s jeans and sliding out of his own boxers.

Shifting so that she was on all fours, Aranea skipped the preamble of making out and opted instead to hook her fingers into the elastic of Gladio’s briefs and pull down. She smirked and took his hardening member in her hands, stroking it lightly as she said, “I’ve handled bigger, but I guess this will do.” She looked over her shoulder to Prompto who was already rolling on a condom. “You waiting for an invitation?”

Prompto crawled over behind her and lined up. He entered slowly on the first thrust, just to test the waters. He’d forgotten how different being with women felt. Getting a good grip on her curvy hips, he began to pick up the pace.

Meanwhile, the view and the increasing strokes had brought Gladio to full hardness. Honestly, he was worried for a minute that the amount of alcohol he’d consumed would curtail his ability to perform, but this must have been one of those moments that his body wasn’t going to pass up. Booze or no booze.

A breathy ‘ _fuck’_ escaped his throat as Aranea ran the flat of her tongue up his length before slipping the head between her lips. She swapped between bobbing her head and wet licks as Prompto continued his pursuit behind her.

Every few thrusts, Prompto would slap his hips forward hard, driving her down further onto Gladio’s cock and eliciting a choked moan from the both of them. Aranea’s moans around his dick were becoming more insistent and soon Prompto leaned over her and slid his still wet fingers around her clit, rubbing circles as he continued to hit the sweet spot inside her.

Finally, she had to pull away from Gladio for a moment as she gasped, “Fuck… yes, don’t stop. Yes, yes, yeeesssssssssssss.” She clenched around him hard, threatening to drain him dry.

Pulling out of her, Prompto kissed her back as he continued to stroke her in lazy circles until her thighs went slack. “Guess I still got it,” he said, winking up at Gladio. “Your turn, I think.”

Aranea nodded, but reached around to grab Prompto’s hip as he backed away. “Don’t go far, I’m not done with you yet.” She looked up at Gladio. “Lay down, I wanna try something.”

It wasn’t difficult to oblige her. Rolling on a condom and lying on his back Gladio didn’t have to wait long before she straddled him, lined him up, and sank down all the way in one snap of her lips.

Gladio’s mouth opened in a silent gasp before she started moving in earnest. Normally, with most lovers he’d had in the past they needed to work their way up to this point, sometimes taking several sessions before they’d be able to bottom out, if at all.

Not Aranea. Apparently, she was an all or nothing kinda gal.

Pausing a moment to readjust her legs she leaned forward and placed both hands over Gladio’s pecks and licked her lips. “Hang on to something, Big Boy.”

Gladio barely got his hands around her thighs before she leaned her weight forward and pulled up almost all the way, snapping her hips back down hard enough that lookouts at Hammerhead might hear it. She did it again and again, her pace increasing exponentially. It was all Gladio could do to hang on.

For the briefest instant he tipped his head to one side to see Prompto crouched in one corner of the tent. His cock was in his hand, but he still. He seemed almost hypnotized by the show.

It was only when Aranea begin to slow did Gladio hazard slipping his hands between them to rub her clit. He was surprised when she put her hand on his wrist, stopping him. “Hang on, just a sec. C’mere Blondie, let’s see how close we can get the two of you.” Reaching back she slid a finger in along side Gladio, increasing the pressure for the both of them.

Prompto swallowed hard as his eyes widened at the view. “You mean… You want me to…”

Pouting lightly over her shoulder, she slipped another finger in and rocked lightly as Gladio let out a light growl at the sensation. “Not up for the challenge?”

“Prom, hurry up and get over here,” Gladio grumbled, snapping the blonde out of his trance.

“Y-yeah. Okay.” Finally willing himself to move, Prompto positioned himself behind the dragoon and lined up along side Gladio before pushing in. Fuck it was so tight. Resting his head on her shoulder he pushed until he was as far as he could get in that position. “How-”

She cut him off by swiveling her hips again, sliding up and down the both of them in a way that made everyone in the tent moan. They found a sort of rhythm after a while, with Gladio’s hands on her hips and Prompto’s arms wrapped around her to cup and pinch her breasts as she moved. Gladio could tell by the way Prompto was breathing that he was reaching his limit, so he ventured south one more time and rubbed the bounty hunters bundle of nerves while she rode them.

That did it. Aranea came a third time, harder than ever. Gladio could feel moisture pool between them before running down his sides in small rivulets as she seized in a silent moan. Finally, when it was too much for her, she rolled off them to the side and took a moment to come down from her high.

Reaching down, Gladio pulled off the condom and began stroking himself in quick short strokes. He was so close, but the three of them together had almost been too much stimulation to come. Especially with all the vodka still in his system.

Thankfully, Prompto batted his hand away and began jerking Gladio off for him. He was doing the same to himself quickly as he careened toward his own orgasm. When Aranea rolled back over and placed a searing kiss on Gladio’s lips, biting his lower lip lightly as she did, that was the tipping point.

Prompto beat him to it by a few seconds, coming in between them an instant before Gladio, adding to the mess on the shields abs and the soaked sleeping bag beneath.

Slumping back down onto his bottom, Prompto took a moment to recover before grabbing the roll of toilet paper from the corner of the tent and cleaning himself up before tossing the rest to Gladio, who did the same.

After rolling out a new set of sleeping bags and tossing the ruined one to the side of the tent the three of them basked in the post coitus glow for a long moment before Aranea broke the silence. “Well… That’s the first job I’ve done for free in quite a while… You’re welcome.”

Gladio rolled his eyes as Prompto hummed his own ‘ _you’re welcome’_ song from a kids movie. Ever one to throw in a few notes after a successful threesome.

Propping himself up on one elbow he looked at the blissed-out dragoon between them. “So… what started that?”

Aranea scoffed as if the answer were painfully obvious. “You mean other than the fact that I’m sharing a tent with two hot guys with no strings attached?” She shrugged. “Can’t imagine. Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve had two at once.”

“Biggs and Wedge?” Prompto asked sleepily, face already half buried in the pillow.

“M’hm,” she confirmed. “They’ve been running the train most of the time, and a girl gets bored doing the same thing over and over again. I had to do some hunts or I was going to lose my reputation. It’s a shame Specks wasn’t here too. I’ll bet he’s got quite the bod under those pressed shirts and suspenders.”

Gladio smiled. “He might.”

Aranea winked at Gladio knowingly before rolling onto her back and pulling the covers up over her shoulders. “Well, tell him I send my regards. Maybe next time.”

 

~X~X~X~

Well shit, this took longer than expected to write. Sorry for the wait everyone.

It’s been so long since I wrote a het coupling that I was a bit rusty when it came to hasing it out. I hope I did the three of them some justice. And poor Cor :*(

Please please PLEASE leave a comment and let me know what you thought and what you might like to see in future chapters. I have the outline vaguely in my head, but if you guys want something specific I can try and do what I can.

Thank you for reading!

 

 


	11. Apple of Discord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seed of doubt is planted.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 11

~5.3 years~

 

None of them really went down to the bar, The Harp, to drink anymore. It was just somewhere to hang out outside the confines of their apartment when the weather was foul. They could also get a good meal that often came from a recent hunt. The meat was fresh and the produce acquired from the greenhouse didn’t hurt either. Plus, they had the chance of bumping into familiar faces since a good portion of the Glaive population dubbed it their unofficial hangout.

There was a piano too, despite the pub’s name. It was a touch off key, but someone was playing the song _Somnus_ so expertly one could overlook the odd stray note. The keys tinkled over the light din of the crowd and blended with the rain outside the window so melodically that it very nearly pulled Ignis under. Resting his head in his hands, the strategist began to doze.

Prompto and Gladio flanked him at the round table, sipping their weak ales and chatting lightly with Libertus, who had joined them a few moments ago. Ignis didn’t want to be rude, really he didn’t, but he was so overtired from burning both ends with Sania and the city officials that he felt he’d earned a moments respite.

Libertus, he was sure, would forgive him. Especially since the new treatment for Starscourge was proving successful so far in retarding the advancement of the disease. It wasn’t a cure, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

The senior Glaive was talking about how they’d been taking shifts protecting Anglegard Island from daemons as the bequest of Gentiana after the trial of the Draconian. They’d earned their forgiveness in the eyes of the Six, but they still felt they had to work to keep it.

Most of them did anyway.

Over the din of the crowd one word found Ignis’ ears like a well-aimed dagger.

“… _Noctis_ …”

Eyes snapping open, he picked his head up from its resting place so quickly that the other three at his table stopped talking. “Iggy, what’s up?” Gladio asked, concerned at his friend’s sudden alertness.

Ignis shushed him and stood up from his seat, listening.

An angry voice drifted from the other side of the bar, “…Noctis is never going to come back. We’re stuck in this dark cesspool forever and there’s not a thing we can do about it.”

Ignis vaguely felt Prompto try and grab at his jacket as he strode by, but his fingers slipped as he closed the distance between the source of the banter. He found a table full of men and women dressed in various levels of what their Glaive uniforms might have been. One he’d never seen before was clearly well into his cups and gesturing dramatically with his hands as he spoke. “I think we should go back to Galahad. The Niff empire is gone and even if we need to gather shards ourselves and start a new reactor we should at least make the attempt to go home and rebuilt. If we stay here in Lucis we’re just flotsam floating our way to a dark watery grave with the rest of the population.”

Those last words pulled a barb in Ignis’ mind, though he couldn’t remember the source. “Pardon my interruption,” Ignis said plainly, though his fists were already clenched.

“What’s good in serving a king who might as well be d-”

“ _Pardon me_.”

The whole table turned to look up at Ignis. A few who recognized him slowly held up their hands and backed away from the table, not wanting to associate with the man talking.

Ignis took a tempered breath, trying to contain the sudden bubbling rage that sat in the pit of his stomach. “I suggest you withhold your thoughts until you’re of better mind, Glaive. What you speak of is considered treason.”

The Glaive leaned back in his chair and pushed an auburn braid over his shoulder. “Is that so? Is it illegal to speak the truth these days, or has that always been the case around the lapdogs of the royal family?” His eyes drifted from Ignis to Gladio and Prompto, now standing behind the strategist. “Been keeping yourselves busy without your master around? Found someone else’s boots to lick?”

Libertus was already next to the man, pulling him to his feet by his jacket. “Alright, you’ve had enough. Time to go.”

Shrugging his shoulder hard, the man dislodged Libertus’ grip and gave the senior Glaive a hard stare before fixing his jacket and dusting the shoulder off. “Deep down inside you all know that it’s true. The Astrals have fucked with the people of Lucis for two thousand years and the royal family are no exception. They cursed the first king and they’ve cursed the last. Even if he does return tomorrow or a millennium from now, what world is there left to save?” he spoke with venom in his voice before he hocked and spat on the floor. “Fuck the Six and fuck His Sleeping Majesty.”

The music stopped and the whole pub went as silent as a crypt.

It was only Gladio’s firm hand on Ignis’ shoulder that stopped him from committing assault on the Glaive as Libertus got a better grip around the mans arm and ushered him toward the door.

Thankfully the situation diffused itself once the offending character was shoved out the front door. The piano player resumed a moment later where they’d left off and most of the conversations within The Harp continued, albeit quieter than before.

Despite the fact that the delinquent Glaive was gone, Ignis still had a sour taste in his mouth. How could someone who’d sworn to protect the crown be so flippant, especially in a public space?

Libertus returned to their table a moment later. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Who was that guy?” Prompto asked.

Libertus shrugged. “The face looks familiar, but I can’t recall his name.” He shook his head. “I mean… I get it…being angry at the situation of things too. I’ve been there, but still… what a dick.”

Gladio finished his beer. “That’s an understatement. Especially after all you guys went through with the trials at Anglegard I didn’t think there were any left who weren’t loyal.”

Libertus picked at the peeling lacquer on the table. “Yeah, me too. I probably should have sent someone to tail him. It looks bad if some civilian starts talking like that, let alone a Glaive. I’ll have the others keep an eye out for him and squash that sort of shit in the future.”

“Please see that you do,” Ignis said a little more tersely than he intended. “Forgive me, I’ve lost my appetite. Could you get my meal to go? I’m going to head back to the apartment and lie down a bit.” He didn’t need to specify the headache that had begun to spread from his temples to the back of his eyes. It had been swimming below the surface for the brunt of the day, but hearing someone speak about Noctis with such gall brought it to the front with a vengeance.

Prompto nodded. “Sure, thing Iggy.”

Not waiting for further conversation, Ignis grabbed his jacket and ducked out the door. The rain was coming down in sheets, but thankfully their apartment wasn’t far. Ducking into the foyer, Ignis shook the extra water off his coat before heading up the stairs. Unlocking their apartment door and stepping through, he unintentionally closed it much harder than he intended. The sound of the door slamming sent another lance of pain through his head, making the headache even worse than it already was.

Sliding out of his damp shoes Ignis didn’t even bother to go to the bedroom and instead he just flopped down on the futon and pulled the throw blanket over him, covering his face in the process.

He wasn’t sure why the drunken ravings of one man had stirred him up so much, but it had. Perhaps it was the sheer level of disrespect, but once Ignis thought about it more he realized that, maybe…maybe there was as grain of truth to it. Despite the brief visions Ignis had at the altar in Altissia he had no clue what the future held. He’d escaped the blindness that might have been, but other than that there was no other indicator that this path was any different from the one he’d witnessed.

From what he gathered from Pryna’s vision, Noctis came back after ten years and was barely with them a few days before sacrificing himself on the throne for all of mankind and the light. Despite that one glimpse, Ignis never really saw what the world was like after Noct’s death. What was left of the world after the sun came up? _Who_ was left? Noct was dead, but was it even worth it?

On top of that, the stranger in the bar had dug up some questions that Ignis himself had buried deep within his own mind. Questions that had caused countless hours of lost sleep.

In this alternate timeline, when _would_ Noctis come back? Would it still be ten years? More? Less? Would he come back at all? Had Ignis saved Noct from a noble death at the hands of his ancestors just to have him condemned to the crystal for an eternity? Ignis wasn’t sure which outcome was worse.

After all the horrific things that had happened to them, that had happened to the world, why should he hold on to hope for a happy ending?

Ignis wasn’t sure how long he laid there before dreamless sleep finally took him.

The chirping of Ignis’ phone was what woke him. It was the alarm he’d set years ago to let him know when the sun was about to go down. Once darkness fully overtook the land he probably should have turned it off, since it was of no use anymore. But still… it was a nice reminder as to what time of day it was if the world was normal.

The turning of a thick page let Ignis know that he wasn’t the only one awake.

Prompto sat on the other futon with his feet propped up on the trunk they used as a coffee table. He was flipping through one of their old photo albums. The one he’d put together just before they went to Altissia. The one that was supposed to be a wedding gift, documenting their trip from Insomnia to Accordo. It had everything from the first photo in Hammerhead with the Regalia, all the way to the group of them on the gondola on their way back from the Totomonstro.

Lifting his head, Prompto wiped one of his eyes with the back of his hand. “Hey Iggy. Feeling better?”

Sitting up more, Ignis ran his fingers through his mussed hair and rubbed the bridge of his nose hard. It did little to alleviate the pressure. “Not as much as I’d like. I’ll have to acquire some aspirin from the trading post next time we’re out.”

He looked down at the photo Prompto was looking at. It was the four of them at Galdin Quay the day before Insomnia fell. Noctis was holding up a fish he’d caught in the background while Gladio appeared to be poking fun at him about how tiny it was. Ignis was standing nearby with his arms crossed, but smiling. Prompto, as usual, was in the foreground looking at the camera in his typical selfie fashion.

The three of them had looked through the album so many times that the bindings at the spine had to be reinforced with heavy tape. It was tough to look through initially after Noct’s departure, but it grew easier with time. Still, as Prompto wiped his other eye with his sleeve Ignis felt a pang of concern. “Is everything alright?”

There was a long pause, to the point where Ignis wondered if Prompto had heard him. He opened his mouth to ask again when Prompto responded, “Yeah…well… no… not really, Iggy.” He swallowed with effort and flipped the page, not looking up. The next picture was them at an overlook at the disks, the sun had set just below the horizon and the sky was blazen with tones of purple, pink and orange. The four of them grinned and waved into the camera from the ledge. Prompto ran a thumb along the edge of it. “When is he coming back?”

Ignis sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Prompto. I don’t have an answer to that. I only know that he _is_ coming back,” he lied, “not when.”

There was another long pause before the bathroom door opened and Gladio stepped out, brushing his teeth.

Prompto continued. “How do you have so much faith, Iggy? How do you do it? After everything that’s happened.”

Ignis shrugged. “I just do. I’ve lived for Noctis since I was six. With the exception of the past few years I don’t know a world without him. I just… I suppose I believe he’s going to come back because I _need_ to believe it. The Six have their plan, and I have faith that they will see things toward the right direction.” His headache grew worse the more he spoke. Faith was not something he normally discussed openly, especially because faith and religion was inherently something that existed without physical evidence. Ignis was normally a rampantly logical individual, so aside from actually meeting three out of six of the Astrals, he didn’t really have much to go on regarding their abilities or the path of fate they chose to push Noctis toward.

Ignis had seen one outcome, it still haunted him frequently, but if he didn’t have faith that things would turn out better this time he… didn’t really want to think about it.

Which was why Prompto’s next words hit him like a punch in the gut.

“What if he doesn’t come back? What then?” Prompto turned toward Ignis. His lavender eyes already welling up. “What if that Glaive was right? What if we’re waiting for nothing?”

Gladio took his toothbrush out of his mouth. “That’s an awful lot of ‘what-if’s’, Prom. We’ve gone over this before about other things. You know it’s not good to dwell on.”

Prompto closed the photo album and put it down on the trunk. “What are we if we’re not Crownsguard? If Noct doesn’t come back… What good are we? What are we all even working toward?” He looked up to Gladio for an answer.

The Royal Shield looked like he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come to him.

Prompto turned to the Royal Advisor. “Iggy?”

“Prompto, please don’t dwell on negatives. We need to focus on-”

“Don’t _deflect_ , Ignis.” The younger man snapped. “You always do that. You’ve been hanging out with your politician buddies too long. If Noct doesn’t come back soon there wont be anything worth saving. What if he comes back in fifty years? Will everyone be dead or daemons at that point? And even if we are here we’ll be in our seventies. What fucking good are we then?”

“Prompto!”

“I’m serious! Think about it. Even if we do grow old in this dark shithole, at least you have your political connections and your work with Sania to keep you busy and to give you purpose. Gladio has his fighting skills and connections through the Glaives. He can train more hunters and teach people to defend themselves if need be. But what about me? What am I good for other than an easy fuck or some stupid photos?”

Gladio frowned hard at that. “Prom, that’s-”

 “I was literally _built_ as an item of destruction by the same people who destroyed Insomnia and killed most of the people we love.” Tears were running down his cheeks at this point. “If the sun doesn’t come up soon, will I be the first of us to turn into a daem-”

Ignis slapped him. Hard. “That’s quite enough!”

The three of them just stood there, frozen. Prompto’s head still tilted in the direction of the slap. A red mark already forming on his cheek.

When Prompto finally moved, Ignis nearly held up his hands in defense. He knew he’d gone too far by hitting him and he fully expected a blow in return, but instead Prompto just went back to the front door and slipped his feet into his shoes. He didn’t even bother to lace them before grabbing his jacket of the hook, ducking out the door, and slamming it behind him.

When the sound of heavy footsteps down the stairs could no longer be heard, Gladio said, “Should I go after him?”

Sighing, Ignis picked up his glasses off the table and slipped them on. “No… he probably just needs some time to gather himself.” Ignis turned toward Gladio. “Not that you were any help in that conversation,” he said with a bit more mirth than intended. His headache was splitting by now and the situation had only made it worse.

Gladio’s brow furrowed. He wiped the toothpaste off the corner of his mouth and gestured with his toothbrush. “What do you mean _I_ wasn’t any help. _You’re_ the one who _hit_ him. And besides, what the fuck was I going to say? I didn’t want to hear it either, but fuck, we don’t actually have any straws to grasp at here to contradict him.”

It was like the pressure in the room dropped. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying…” Gladio threw his hands up in defeat. “I’m saying that he’s not the first one of our group that’s said that. Cor was drunk, but back in Hammerhead he said a lot of things that hit home. A lot of things that hit _me_ hard.”

Ignis opened his mouth, but Gladio stopped him.

“I know that you love Noctis. More than any of us. I get that. I get that more than you could possibly know, but…” He cleared his throat before his voice began to break. “Without Noctis, what are we? I’m just some noble brat with a lot of muscle and no home to go back to. At best I’m a body guard for the highest bidder. Let’s face it, Ignis, we’re all surviving for now but in the long run… If the sun doesn’t come back up what is there to _live_ for? What are we doing?”

Ignis wanted to be angry. He wanted to argue with Gladio and defend the possibility that Noctis was coming back, but the when and _if_ were too strong to hold a shield up against at the moment. It was like fighting the tide.

Instead, Ignis just silently strode past Gladio and locked himself in the bedroom. Tears already began to flow before the door even latched. Not since Devon’s death had Ignis sobbed so deeply.

Prompto didn’t come home the next morning.

 

~X~X~X

Uhhhhhhh! I’m sorry guys. This had to happen eventually.

The angst train is in the station and it will be for some time. I’m sorry.

Next chapter will come faster than this one. I promise.

Please leave a comment. It always is the best motivation to write more. 


	12. Gaslighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto is gone. Ignis and Gladio barely speak any more. Things are at their darkest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for attempted suicide

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 12

~5.5 years~

 

They tracked Prompto down at Hammerhead a week later when Stella called them. She said that Prompto had lost his phone somewhere between Lestallum and the garage and that she would let them know what his new number was as soon as he had one. When Ignis asked when Prompto would come back to Lestallum, Stella asked, but the only thing Ignis could hear in the distance of the garage was Prompto’s angry and exhausted, ‘ _Have faith_.’

That was just about three months ago.

Prompto still hadn’t returned and didn’t appear to have any intention of doing so any time soon. Gladio had managed to get a few updates here and there to Prompto’s whereabouts when he checked in after hunts, just to let them know he was alive. Aside from that there was little communication between them.

When Gladio managed to get Prompto to tell them why he was staying out there for so long the only answer he got was, “I just need to figure myself out. Alone.”

And that was that.

With Prompto absent from the apartment, the small living quarters felt…hollow. Gladio was still there, but he’d started working longer hours at the gym, greenhouse, and training with the remaining Glaives. He only really came back home to shower or sleep and when he did he crashed on the futon more often than not so as not to disturb Ignis if he’d already fallen asleep.

Ignis kept himself busy working with Sania and the various Lestallum councils, distributing ribbons and ramping up test groups for more serious cases of Starscourge. He still did the odd hunt and trained to keep himself in shape and his skills sharp, but he could start to feel his agility slipping the more he spent time in clinics and less time in the field. There just weren’t enough hours in the day.

On top of all that, going back to an empty apartment was more exhausting than being away from it. He and Gladio rarely spoke face to face anymore, and when they did he felt like they were walking on eggshells around one another.

It was like the argument about the possibility that Noctis might not return had planted the seed of doubt and it had grown like a voracious weed. Every time Ignis looked Gladio in the eyes the larger man would avert his gaze or make up an excuse about training or a hunt. Soon Ignis found himself doing the same.

Somehow… the thought of bringing up the topic again, even just for a moment, was too painful. And because of that, they just stopped talking all together.

It was one morning, as Ignis was packing up his lunch for the day, Gladio came home from his morning run, kicked his sneakers off, and walked directly into the bathroom that Ignis realized that it had been days since they’d said a word to each other. Not a word. They hadn’t been intimate or even so much as slept in the same bed since Prompto left either.

They were ships, passing each other in the night.

The air in the apartment was no longer tense, no longer sad, it was just numb. Dead.

Part of Ignis wanted to feel sad about it, or maybe even angry. He wanted to blame _someone_ for everything that happened, even if that someone was himself, but it did no good. That part of Ignis that felt anything; sorrow, hope, joy, lust, anger, or even just something as simple as looking forward to a meal. Gone. All these emotions were coins at the bottom of a very deep well that someone had boarded up and put a ring of cones around it so nobody would fall in.

Putting a few hard-boiled eggs and some steamed beats they got from the garden aside for Gladio, Ignis packed up his own food and headed out to the lab.

Ignis didn’t even see the vagrant masses tucked away in the corners of buildings and crevice’s as he walked to the building Sania and he worked in. They’d become so much like the cobblestone streets themselves they just blended into the landscape. Most of them didn’t even panhandle anymore. Those who were capable or attractive enough either assisted builders or hunters when they could or shacked up in the brothels that had been established on the less than reputable end of town.

Those who still slept in the streets were either thieves, scavengers, waiting to die, or some combination of the three. Ignis was doing literally all he could for them, but he couldn’t even bare to look them in the eyes. Same as Gladio.

It just hurt too much.

The secured lab was on the top floor of an industrial building near the capital building. It had a window that overlooked the greenhouse, which was considered the best view in town at this point. So at least Ignis had that.

Giving a passing greeting to Sania as she fed fruit flies to the tiny frogs in her terrarium, Ignis sat down at his desk and started taking inventory of the infected samples they’d received.

Sipping one of his rationed cans of Ebony, Ignis opened his log book and went to work.

…

“Ignis…Ignis…” Sania tapped him on the shoulder.

Lifting his head up off the table, Ignis wiped the wetness from the corner of his mouth and from the surface of the table as he cleared his throat.

“Honey, you sure you don’t want to call it a day and go home? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve seen better days.”

Closing up the container of killer wasp stingers that he was counting, Ignis replaced it in the box and marked where he left off. “No… no it’s quite alright. Is it time for clinic hours already?”

Putting her hands on her hips and giving Ignis a motherly frown, Sania shook her head. “Ignis…”

“I’m fine, Sania. Truly.”

She didn’t seem convinced. “Tell you what. We’ll do the clinic hours, but then I want you out for the rest of the day. Go home, go to the gym, get drunk, do whatever the hell you gotta do but you are _not_ working. Understood?”

“Sania, I-”

She covered his mouth with her hand. “Ah bup bup bup. Nope. Not another word. And if I see you’ve been checking emails or scheduling board meetings I’m giving you a mandatory day off tomorrow too. Am I clear?”

She still had her hand over Ignis’ mouth, so he just nodded.

“Good. Now let’s go, clinic hours started five minutes ago.”

…

The basement of the local church, once used for preschool and AA meetings had been converted into a makeshift clinic for those who suffered from starscourge. Once the disease took hold and advanced to the organs and brain there was little any of them could do to help them aside from giving them some of the rapidly dwindling pain killers and wait for the inevitable. For them to turn, or if they were lucky, die of organ failure before that happened.

One brazen member of the council suggested that those who were terminal be brought down to the reactor and thrown in in order to save the medicine for those who had a chance to actually be cured.

Despite the fact that he was _correct_ in his desire to ration the medication, it didn’t mean that his outburst was _right_.

He was discharged from the council that very same day.

The irony of it all was that Ignis saw him in the waiting room. Wearing a defeated, humble expression as he tried in vain to conceal his blackening fingers and the purple veins crawling up his arm like spider webs.

That wasn’t a good sign. Once it got the circulatory system it was very tough to control at that point.

Picking up the clipboard from the woman at the front desk he looked over the names on the list. Most were illegible scribbles next to the time they checked in. Some had arrived hours before the doors opened, waiting and hoping to be treated.

Despite all their work, Ignis and the others they worked with only had a limited number of ribbons. They could only gather the ingredients and it took quite a bit of time and gil to refine the poisons down to an amount that would trigger the bodies own defensive response.

Dino had been working with them to refine the cure into an inhalant, but so far the results were…unpredictable at best. At least the former jeweler was making a decent living selling drugs to those who had nothing else to turn to. Ignis felt it was taking advantage, but considering he still occasionally bought weed from the smart-mouthed Quay resident he could do little to judge.

The night wore on and patient after patient came and went.

When the last of the ribbons were distributed, Sania informed the Glaives at the doorway who had the unfortunate task of shepherding the sick masses back outside and into the night. Wishing them luck and telling them to try again in two days when the clinic opened its doors again.

One Glaive was in the back, talking to one of the patients behind a privacy screen. “Sir, I’m sorry but you really have to go… No, Sir…Sir there’s nothing I can do. We only had a limited supply.”

Ignis had heard the troubled tone before. This Glaive must be new. He still held some sympathy in his voice.

Waving the Glaive over, Ignis mouthed that he would handle it. He approached the cot and pushed the screen aside. “I do apologize Sir, but we are going to have to ask you to-”

Ignis voice caught in his throat.

Devon looked up at him from the cot. His charcoal hair hung lazily over his blue-gray eyes. Eyes that were wrung deeply with black veins as oily saliva oozed down the corners of his mouth.

“Help me… please,” he said weakly in a deep voice.

“You…you’re dead,” Ignis stammered and stepped back as his heart jumped to his throat.

Devon smiled sickly, black oozed more from his mouth. “Who said I was dead, Love? Have you moved on already?” He sat up quickly, causing Ignis to step backwards and trip over a stool. The ground came up to meet him quickly, but thankfully Ignis managed to catch himself on the arm of a roll cart. It stopped him from hitting the floor hard, but it sent a metal bed pan clattering to the floor, drawing the attention of everyone left in the room.

Sania was at his side in an instant. “Ignis! Goodness, are you alright?”

Looking back toward the man on the cot before him, Ignis paused, eyes darting around the room for Devon frantically. The older brunette man on the cot, deeply affected by starscourge and clearly _not_ Devon looked back at him with a sickly expression.

Ignis let Sania help him to his feet, as she apologized to the afflicted man and helped Ignis to the front desk where she handed him a small glass of water. Once the patient was safely out the door she turned to Ignis and put a hand on his shoulder. “You wanna tell me what that was about?”

His hands were shaking as he took a small sip of the water. Blinking hard once, twice, three times, everything else in the room seemed the same as it had moments before. He’d been under a confused status ailment before, but this didn’t feel like that. “Am I running a fever?”

Sania felt his forehead. “No, Honey, you’re not, but you’re white as a sheet. Look like you’ve seen ghost.”

Putting the water down, Ignis removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I think I might have.”

“Alright, that’s enough. Go home. Get some rest. I don’t want you getting out of bed for at least twelve hours unless it’s to go to the bathroom or the house is on fire.”

Ignis went to make his usual objections, but the words fell flat on his tongue. “Perhaps your right.”

…

It wasn’t the last time he saw Devon.

The next time it was Devon that brought him a package from Old Lestallum. Blue-gray eyes greeted him cheerfully as he handed off the package before looking down to sign the paperwork, but the face that came back up to bid Ignis farewell was that of a graying man with a goatee.

A week or so after that, Devon was working behind a stand at a spice shop. It was raining lightly and in the span of time it took for a couple to walk buy with an oversized umbrella, Devon was replaced by an elderly woman handing paprika to a local kebab stand owner.

And it just kept happening.

Ignis tested his blood several times, making absolutely sure he hadn’t contracted starscourge or been accidentally poisoned by one of Sania’s many hallucinogenic frogs. He tested himself so many times that one day Gladio caught sight of the old and new puncture holes in the bend of Ignis’ arm on his way out of the apartment and physically stopped him from walking past him out the door.

“Ignis.” It was the first time he’d said his name in days. His calloused fingers on his wrist sent shivers up Ignis spine as Gladio approached the curve of his arm, but not in the way they used to. Touch reminded him of being loved, which reminded him of Devon, which made him sick to his stomach.

He yanked his arm away. “What is it, Gladio. I’m late.”

“What’s going on with you?” He spoke with genuine concern in his voice that twisted Ignis’ stomach. “You’re not eating, you’re working yourself to death, and now this…” Gladio gestured to the puncture wounds. “Please, gods Ignis, tell me you’re not using.”

“Gladio, I’m late. Please-”

“Ignis, talk to me. We lost Prompto, I’m not going to lose you.”

The mention of the gunslinger made Ignis’ stomach clench further, threatening to bring up the little food he did manage to keep down for breakfast. He took a deep breath, not wanting to snap at Gladio the way he had Prompto. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. “I’m not using any drugs Gladio. I promise you. Now may I go to work?”

Swallowing hard, Gladio stepped aside and let him pass.

…

The streets are hot in Lestallum tonight as Ignis wraps up another day at the lab. Glancing at his watch he figured he’d have enough time to stop by the greenhouse for some produce before heading over to the county clerk and get some documents notarized before they closed.

Looking down the street Ignis caught a flash of an auburn braid and a Glaive jacket duck around a corner.

The man from The Harp Pub.

The one who planted the seed of doubt in all of them, the one that caused Prompto to be driven away. The one who was to blame for the sick feeling that Ignis woke up with each and every morning.

Schedule cast to the wind Ignis took off after him. He didn’t know what he would say once he actually reached the man, but he wanted to know the hurt he’d caused. Whether he let him know with his words or his fists, Ignis want yet sure.

Darting down an alley, Ignis saw the figure round another corner again and he pursued. His shirt began to sweat through by the time he made it to the portcullis of the wall. Darting through it after the Glaive he was vaguely aware of the gate guard yelling at him as he sprinted by. The spotlights of the city began to fade behind him and before Ignis knew it he was standing on the abandoned overlook. Its white brick long since greyed from lack of maintenance and crumbling on one end.

The pale moonlight cast made the bricks almost luminescent beneath it as the figure he was chasing came to a stop near the edge. Ignis slowed to a stop as well a few paces away from the Glaive, but nearly choked when the man turned around.

He wasn’t in a Glaive jacket. He didn’t have an auburn braid.

He wasn’t Devon either.

It was Noctis. Same as the day he vanished into the crystal. Same as the day he’d healed Ignis from certain death from the use of the ring. The same day he vanished from this world.

Noctis turned and smiled and Ignis could feel his heartbeat in his ears. “Noct…”

But the prince didn’t speak or acknowledge him any further. Noctis just took a few steps toward the edge of the lookout, spread his arms the way he did years ago at the Assassins Festival, and jumped.

Ignis lurched forward and grabbed at air before Noct vanished beyond the brick ledge.

Nearly diving after him, Ignis looked over the edge through blurred vision as his eyes welled up.

There was nothing on the rocks beneath the overlook. Nothing but crumbling façade, moonlight, and emptiness.

Collapsing over the railing, Ignis let out a choking sob. He couldn’t do this anymore. It hurt too much, and when it didn’t hurt he was numb. There was nothing left. No joy in his world.

Before he fully registered what he was doing, he put a foot up on to the bench besides the wall and stepped up. The other foot followed and before he realized it, Ignis was standing on the ledge of the overlook. The cool wind felt good on the wet streaks of tears on his cheeks. He briefly wondered if it would feel even better on the way down.

The melodic ringing of his phone brought Ignis back to reality as it vibrated in his pocket.

Looking down, Ignis suddenly got the most lurching case of vertigo. Crouching down for stability as the wind whipped at his shirt Ignis made his way back down to solid ground.

Hands shaking violently, he pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered without looking to see who it was.

"Hello?"

Gladio’s voice yelled through the receiver. “Ignis! You’ll never guess who I just saw. Where are you?”

Emotionally and physically exhausted from the whole ordeal, Ignis wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’m at the overlook”

“The fuck are you doing out there?”

“I…” The sounds of mutated whoops and howls filled Ignis’ ears. He looked up to see several sets of eyes reflecting at him from the edge of the shadows. There was no way for him to make it past the pack of havocfangs and back to the safety of the wall. “I’m not alone. Hurry.”

 

~X~X~X

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255

This chapter hit me hard and made me feel physically ill to write, but I needed to get it out. I’ve lost people both to suicide and drugs. Please reach out for help if you need it. There’s always another way.

 


	13. From The Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place mostly the same timeline as the last chapter, but from Gladio's perspective.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 13

~5.5 years~

 

Despite the borderline oppressive heat and humidity in Lestallum, the apartment felt cold and hollow since the argument and Prompto’s sudden departure. After finding out that the gunslinger was safe (well, as safe as one could be) in Hammerhead, Gladio tried his best to bring a sense of normalcy between he and Ignis.

He made a few meals when Ignis didn’t seem to want to cook. One night he slow simmered some anak bones for 18 hours along with some other herbs and flavors and made a pretty darn good soup with deliberately _not_ freeze-dried noodles for a change. He offered Ignis a bowl when he got home from working with the town delegates, but the strategist just took a shower and went to bed.

Gladio ate in the living room alone, watching some of the VHS tapes Prompto got them until the sentimentality became too much. He turned the television off and cleaned up.

Another morning, maybe a week later, Ignis was shaving as he was getting ready for work. Gladio took the opportunity to slip into the small bathroom behind him and wrap his arms around Ignis’ toned frame. He kissed his neck and suggested maybe they blow off some steam before Ignis had to leave. He didn’t have to be at work for at least another hour after all.

With a deep sigh, Ignis just said ‘perhaps another time’ with a tone that sounded more dismissive than disappointed.

It became increasingly difficult to try after the first month. Too many clipped, one-word responses. Too many averted gazes. Too many nights sleeping next to a man he’d grown to care for so much, only to feel like he was the only one on the mattress.

Once Gladio started sleeping on the futon again things got a bit easier to deal with, but they got darker right along with it.

It got to the point that the few check-in texts from Prompto added up to more dialogue than he’d had with the man living with him.

Gladio knew it was because of the elephant in the room. The dark foreboding discussion that they never wanted to have lest they start believing that it was true. While it hurt Gladio to think about it, he actually made himself deal with it one night.

When he had nothing else to do and Ignis was off picking up samples in Old Lestallum, Gladio bought himself a fifth of whatever bottle had the most alcohol in it from the trading post, sat down in the living room with one of Prompto’s old digital cameras and went through the pictures. There were even a few short video’s that he’d forgotten about. When he got too the first one with Noctis voice in it, the protective barrier he’d formed around himself got a gaping crack in it.

He’d almost forgotten what Noct sounded like, and that fact alone nearly broke him.

Gladio woke up the next day, head spinning and eyes puffy, but somehow, he felt a tiny bit lighter.

That levity somehow managed to settle back down once Ignis got back and the apartment got quieter than it was with him gone. This was ridiculous. Prompto had been away three months and they still were walking on eggshells around each other. And why? Because they were too afraid to bring up the topic that Noctis might not return within the next decade, or even that he may never come back.

Well, that shit was going to end today.

Gladio decided to talk to Ignis about it after his session at the clinic. He didn’t care if he had to handcuff them together, Ignis wasn’t going to walk away from him until they got everything out in the open. Even if Ignis ended up hating him for it and asked him to leave, it would still be better than this purgatory.

But all Gladio’s plans went to shit when he caught sight of Ignis’ arms on his way out the door. He’d seen similar puncture wounds down at the soup kitchens and in the masses walking the streets.

No… Ignis would never.

Before he was aware of what he was doing, Gladio was blocking Ignis’ way out the door and gently grabbing his arm so that he could get a better look.

 “Ignis…”

The look on his face was unreadable. It was sad, angry, defensive, disgusted, hurt, and so many others flashed like the frames of a movie before Ignis yanked his arm away. “What is it, Gladio? I’m late.”

“What’s going on with you? You’re not eating, you’re working yourself to death, and now this…” Gladio gestured to the puncture wounds. “Please, gods Ignis, tell me you’re not using.”

“Gladio, I’m late. Please-”

“Ignis, talk to me.” The words left his mouth with a wavering crack before he could stop himself. “We lost Prompto, I’m not going to lose you.”

Gladio suspected Ignis would snap at him, but he didn’t.

Ignis took a deep breath and swallowed hard. He spoke with a direct even tone, enunciating every letter as he did. “I’m not using any drugs Gladio. I promise you. Now may I go to work?”

Swallowing hard, Gladio stepped aside and let him pass.

Ignis ghosted by him and made his way down the steps until there was no sound in the room other than the hum of the crowd outside and the groaning water pipes within the walls. He wasn’t sure if he could believe Ignis when he said he was clean. He’d seen more people than he liked, even a few hunters, slip into the downward spiral of drug use and the signs were all there. Ignis had lost weight, become withdrawn and irritable. He was defensive and stopped doing things that he would have normally enjoyed.

Gladio was half tempted to go in the bedroom and search through the drawers for paraphernalia, but instead he decided he would give Ignis an ultimatum. Either talk to him about Noct and everything else or he was leaving. He could bare this limbo no longer.

Heading to the bedroom Gladio packed his bag just in case he did need to leave. That way he wouldn’t be rummaging through the apartment in a compromised emotional state if things went south when Ignis got home. Maybe he could go stay back at Hunger HQ like he did years ago, or maybe he’d go work with Cor out east. He was sure he’d figure it out.

Leaving his bag on the futon, he took one good look around the apartment before grabbing his toothbrush, Prompto’s old camera, and two of his favorite books before zipping up the duffle bag.

Everything set for the worst, Gladio tried to picture how things could possibly turn out good from here. Either way, Ignis wouldn’t be home for hours. At least Gladio might be able to burn off some frustration at the gym before he had to have one of the toughest conversations of his life.

Closing the door quietly behind him, Gladio set off for the gym.

~

Hours later, he bid some of the hunters he’d been sparring with goodbye before hitting the showers and getting dressed. He’d pushed himself harder than he had in a while and he was feeling it in his joints. He may only be twenty-eight, but the past five years hadn’t been easy and he was starting to notice it in his reflection.

Granted he’d been expecting a few more creases in his brow and a gray hair or two, but those aside he just looked exhausted. Emotionally, physically, spiritually, everything. Sighing, he tried to remember when his own father went completely gray and decided to shave his head. It must have been around the time their mother died, now that he thought about it.

Still, his father aged fairly well compared to Regis. Once the late king started using the ring to put the wall around Insomnia he began to age rapidly, the price of the magic taking it’s toll on- “No, Gladio, knock it off,” he scolded himself as he dried his hair and pulled his jeans on. No matter what he thought about he couldn’t help thinking about what Noct would look like when (if) he finally came back. How much life would the ring and the Six have taken out of him by then? Would he have aged exponentially the way his father had? Gladio didn’t want to think about it.

After finishing getting dressed and brushing the many snarls out of his hair, Gladio grabbed his gym bag and began to make his way home.

About a block from the gym, he heard a familiar whistle behind him. When he turned he was surprised to see his sister standing just outside an open-air bar. “Hey there, Gladdy,” she said. Her tone seemed a little off, less playful, but life had taken its toll on all of them.

“Hey, Kiddo, what are you doing in town? I thought you and the others were out near Hammerhead.”

She tilted her head. “Just got back. I suspected I’d see you leaving the gym.” She paused, looking up at him with big brown eyes. “You don’t look so good. Everything alright?”

His shoulders sagged. “No… no they’re not.”

Pouting, Iris tapped the stool she was standing next to. “Come sit. Talk. I have some extra gil and I think it’s about time I buy my big brother a drink. Tell me everything.”

Gladio shook his head. “Iris, not today. I got something to do back at the apartment with Ignis and-”

“That was not a polite request.” Iris patted the stool a little harder. “Sit. Drink. Talk.”

Sighing, Gladio put his bag down and sat at the empty bar. “Fine. Just one beer. Then I gotta go.”

“Splendid.”

Thankfully the bartender must have had something to do in the back of the shop before the rush hit. After serving the two of them their beers he made himself scarce, which was just fine with Gladio. The less ears that heard him vent the better.

He talked about what happened at The Harp, followed by Ignis and Prompto’s argument. Gladio left out his suspicions about Ignis using, but did mention that the strategist had been withdrawn and cold these past months. It was surprisingly easy to just let it all out to his sister, but the feeling was cut short when Iris said something unexpected.

“I think you should just leave. Don’t even bother talking to him. He’s more stubborn than _you_ are. All it will do is cause more heartbreak.” Iris took a sip of her beer passively while Gladio’s brow furrowed, adding another micro-wrinkle to the collection.

“I can’t do that. Ignis deserves a goodbye at _least_.”

She shrugged dismissively. “I don’t know Gladio. I think that your time with those two has made you go soft.”

“Iris, what the hell are you talking about?”

“What ever happened to my big, strong, brother? The man who didn’t need anybody. The man who lived by his sword and shield alone. Ever since you’ve started acquiescing your time and energy into those two you’ve lost your resolve. You’re better off without them.”

 _Acquiescing_? Since when did Iris start using fancy big words like that? She certainly hadn’t learned them from Cor or Aranea. Not to mention this flippant attitude she’d suddenly developed. She _adored_ Prompto and Ignis. She’d known both of them almost half her life. There was no way she would be asking Gladio to shrug them off like an old jacket. It just wasn’t like her.

Something was wrong.

Gladio sipped the last of his beer. “Maybe you’re right. Those two have been slowing me down these past few years.”

“Exactly.”

Prodding the waters a little bit, Gladio asked. “I guess it’s a lot like what mom used to say when we were kids. Something about feathers. How did it go again?”

Iris paused, looking contemplative, as Gladio heard his mothers voice in his head. She had a phrase she would use whenever anyone asked her about their father’s tattoo. Why the Amicitia crest was an eagle. She would say, _“A bird cannot soar with one feather alone. It takes them all working together to fly.”_ She said it like a prayer before putting them to bed and it was one of the last things she said before she died. There was no way Iris would have forgotten it.

“Iris…” Gladio said again, waiting for a response. When none came he began to reach into the armiger, the handle of his sword tickling against his palm before he asked, “What was Mom’s name?”

It only took an instant of her hesitation before Gladio was sweeping his sword through the air, right at her midsection.

This thing was not his sister.

His blade caught the image of Iris right in her ribs, cleaving her nearly to the spine. When she looked up at him in shock Gladio felt a lead weight in his gut for an instant. Could he have been mistaken? Had he just murdered his only sister?

It only took an instant before the inky black blood sliding down the edge of the blade for Gladio’s suspicions to be confirmed. He went to pull his sword back, ready to wind up and strike again, but Not-Iris’ hand clamped around the ornate guard and held it firm.

“Clever boy,” she said before holding up her hand to his chest. He saw the faintest wisp of purple black smoke before Gladio was blasted back.  Skidding on cobblestone street, Gladio was back on his feet in an instant. Pulling another sword from the armiger he stood ready as Not-Iris pulled the sword from her side and let it clatter to the street below. Seemingly unaffected by the gaping wound in its side, the image of his sister began walking towards him shifting as it did. Gladio blinked once, twice, and the auburn haired Glaive was standing before him.

“What the fuck?”

The Glaive looked affronted. “Language.” He made a tsk noise. “Is that any way for a dog of the royal family to speak?”

Gladio didn’t wait to be goaded further. He charged. This time with full intention of rendering this _thing_ into pieces.

Imagine his surprise when there was a sparkle of magenta and the Glaive pulled a weapon out of his own armiger. Blocking Gladio’s swing with an oversized shield the Glaive shifted weapons with another sparkle and soon it was Gladio on the defensive as an enormous scythe nearly took his arm off. The stranger held up his hand and Gladio summoned his own shield an instant before the magical impact sent him air born. He hit the brick façade of the alley adjacent to the bar and crumpled to the ground. Before he even pushed himself up to his knees another blast hit him, driving any remaining air from his lungs.

When he opened his eyes again the world was spinning and the form above him was no longer the Glaive, but a very haughty overdressed Chancellor. Ardyn pouted down at him. “Hmmm, somehow I expected more from the Royal Shield. Then again mine was somewhat legendary, so my standards are comparatively high.” Ardyn kicked him in the ribs and Gladio tasted blood. “That svelte friend of yours put up a much better fight. I must admit he wounded my pride rather deeply too. I suppose I could kill you here and let him find your corpse, but I there’s no fun in that.” He got a good grip of Gladio’s hair and pulled him back up to a sitting position. Gladio grabbed Ardyn’s wrist but received a punch to his gut for his efforts.

When Gladio opened his eyes again the little breath he had froze in his lungs. Noctis stood before him, smirking in a way that his prince never smirked. “No…”

Ardyn’s hand swirled with the purple-black smoke again. “I think it would be better if you were the one to find his body instead. It’s been fun, driving him mad this past few weeks, but even a cat gets bored with it’s mouse after so much time. Even one as vexatious as him.”

Some of the pieces were starting to come together. Ignis withdrawing into himself, not sleeping, barely eating. Ardyn had been toying with him. Ignis probably thought he was losing his mind.

Gladio tried in vain to get to his feet, but before he could there was a purple flash in his face and the world went dark.

~

The cold tingle of a hi-potion roused Gladio from unconsciousness. Absolutely everything hurt and his mind was fuzzy around the edges. A blurred form above him tapped the side of his face as the thrum of words started to form meaning.

“….ladio. Gladio wake up.” When his vision began to clear he realized it was Monica standing over him. He opened his eyes fully and groaned. “Oh, thank the Six. What the hell happened to you?” She helped him to a sitting position and fresh pain lanced through his side. He must have a cracked rib or two. “It looks like you went three rounds with an iron giant. Do you want me to call Ignis?”

Gladio gasped, suddenly remembering everything that had happened. “Ignis! Shit.” He fumbled in his pocket for his phone and despite a deep crack in the screen he found it still operational. He dialed quickly, despite whatever else Monica was trying to say to him.

Getting to his feet he scanned the streets as the phone rang. How long had he been out?

Thankfully, he heard the receiver pick up on the other end.

“Hello?”

Gladio was never happier to hear his voice. He thought he’d be too late. “Ignis! You’ll never guess who I just saw. Where are you?”

Ignis was clearly shaken. Gladio could hear it in his voice. “I’m at the overlook.”

This was bad. The overlook was unprotected, and the flood lights had failed months ago. “The fuck are you doing out there?”

“I…” Gladio could hear the whoops of havocfangs in the background. He started running before Ignis could even say, “I’m not alone. Hurry.”

Vaguely, Gladio was aware that Monica was running right behind him, but he didn’t slow. Despite the pain in his side and the burning of his damaged lungs, Gladio made it to the gate in record time. The guards were shouting something at him, but Gladio didn’t hear as he sprinted past the portcullis and down the front steps two at a time.

He pulled his sword out an instant before an ice spell blasted the area. Several lesser hounds stumbled before the attack and Gladio didn’t hesitate. He positioned himself between three of them and swung his sword around in a wide circle, quickly finishing the smaller mutants off. Unfortunately, this only drew the ire of the alpha, who turned to Gladio with a snarl.

“Ignis!” Gladio called. He couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Here,” he heard from the far side of the overlook. Another large havocfang had Ignis pinned down, and there was no way Gladio was going to be able to get to him. He looked around frantically as the Alpha closed the distance between them and lunged. Gladio managed to dodge the first attack, landing the side of his sword into the creatures back flank before turning his attention to Ignis again.

The strategist had managed to dislodge himself out from under the beast, but he was still being flanked by three others.

It wasn’t until one of them dropped did Gladio realize that he had backup. Monica was standing on one of the upper railings, crossbow in hand as she sent bolt after bolt into the pack.

Gladio was so relieved that he’d become momentarily distracted. Fangs sank into the flesh of his calf as the Alpha chomped down and shook. The denim of Gladio’s pants were no protection as teeth dug into flesh.

Fortunately, this gave Gladio the opportunity to reach down and get a good grip of the mutants mane, preventing its escape as he came down on its back with his sword. The creature released his leg and howled in pain as Gladio came down again and again. Even when he’d ruptured the spine and the creature’s back half went limp, Gladio didn’t stop until the Alpha was good and dead.

Leg bleeding profusely and Gladio all out of potions, he turned toward the rest of the pack with a resolve he hadn’t felt in years. If he died today, it would be in the defense of someone he cared for. His father would have be proud.

However, it didn’t seem like he was going to get his wish that night.

With the Alpha dead, the pack lost its nerve. Leaving their dead and wounded behind the remaining havocfangs let out a howl of despair and scattered into the night.

“Ignis,” Gladio called into the darkness. “Where are you?”

“Here.” Ignis pulled himself up, using the long dead streetlamp for stability. Gladio limped toward him and helped hold him up. “Are you alright?”

Gladio noticed Ignis bleeding from his upper arm and there was a nasty gash above his eye, but thankfully other than that he looked unharmed. “I feel like a dog chew toy, but I’ll live. What about you? What on Eos were you doing out here?”

Ignis looked up at him with shame in his eyes and Gladio’s stomach tightened. “I…”

“Iggy…”

Monica cut him off, running up to them. “What in the name of the Six was that?” She held up another potion, waiting for both Ignis and Gladio to be touching it before activating it. It didn’t heal them as much with its joint use, but at least it stopped the bleeding. “Do you have a death wish? That pack has killed six people in the last month alone.”

“Apologies, Ma’am,” said Ignis. “It’s my fault. I was chasing someone that I thought… It’s not important anymore. You have my thanks for the help. It won’t happen again.”

She looked at him with a stern, motherly expression. “See that it doesn’t. Both of you. Now get your asses back behind the wall before something worse than the pack finds us.”

~

Cramming into their small bathroom, Ignis peeled his bloodied shirt off and dropped it in the trash bin. “Pitty,” he said flatly, “I liked that shirt.”

Gladio was sitting on the rim of the tub with his leg running under warm water as dried blood rand own the drain, but thankfully it looked like the potion did a good enough job that he wouldn’t need stitches. Ignis was doing a similar job in the sink, though the angle was a little awkward.

Toweling off his leg and tossing his shredded jeans into the trash, Gladio stood up and put a hand on the small of Ignis’ back. “Here, let me help.”

“It’s not necessary, Gladio, I can-”

“I wasn’t asking.” He picked up a facecloth and ran it under the water. “Have a seat, we have a lot to talk about anyway.”

Ignis opened his mouth to say something, but Gladio shot him a glare that his father used on him when he was about to talk back as a kid, and Ignis shut his mouth again before sitting on the lid of the toilet. Gladio laid the warm washcloth over Ignis’ injured arm and let it sit there for a moment to soften up the dried blood.

“Where to start?” Ignis offered.

Gladio sighed. There were so many things unsaid. He could talk about what he intended to this morning, though now his well laid out speech was scattered and vague. Instead he started with the reason he’d called Ignis this evening in the first place. “I saw Ardyn.”

Snapping his eyes up, Ignis showed more emotion in that instant than he had in months. “What?”

“Well… it wasn’t him at first. I don’t know how he did it, but he looked like Iris. I figured out it wasn’t her when she started talking down about you and Prom and, well, I attacked her. The wound I left should have killed a normal person, but the next thing I know I was knocked on my ass. Then Iris turned into that redheaded douchebag from The Harp before beating the shit out of me. Then he turned into Ardyn and then Noct.” Gladio made a sour face. “I know I shouldn’t be surprised at anything that sick fuck does, but I still feel ill thinking of him wearing Noct’s skin like that.”

“He was you.”

Gladio blinked. “What?”

“Ardyn. He posed as you in Altissia. Ravus saw through his illusion just before…” Ignis paused for a long moment before a delirious smile began to spread across his face. Then he started to laugh. The laughter turned to hysterics to the point where Gladio didn’t even know what to say or do. He’d never heard those noises come out of him before. Tears were streaming down Ignis’ face before he finally said, “It was Ardyn. All this time I thought I was being haunted or going mad, and it was Ardyn.” When he finally caught his breath he put a hand over the one Gladio was using to hold the cloth on his arm and he smiled. The first legitimate smile Gladio had seen on him in months and it made his heart leap.

“Listen, Iggy…Since I got you here and we’re actually talking… I wanted to speak to you about what we do if Noct doesn’t-”

His words were cut off as Ignis stood up swiftly and closed his lips over his. It was rushed and aggressive and searing, burning its way through him like a brush fire. Whatever he was about to say fell by the wayside as Ignis assaulted him with his lips, pressing him up against the edge of the sink. The facecloth hit the ground with a wet plop as his hands began to roam the strategist’s bare torso.

Ignis’ skilled fingers were doing similar, pulling Gladio’s shirt up until they had to break the kiss long enough to toss the shirt into the corner. “Bedroom,” was the only word Ignis said before the two of them were tripping over each other through the doorway. Whatever clothing was left was discarded on the way to the bed before they tumbled down onto the sheets together. Gladio’s injured ribs and leg ached, but it was nothing compared to Ignis’ mouth on his lips and pulse.

Normally Ignis was slow and intentional with his actions in bed, but this was wild, cathartic, and liberating. Before Gladio knew what was going on, Ignis was pressing a lubricated finger into him. Gladio gasped at the unexpected sensation, but soon enough Ignis was hitting his prostate like there was a bullseye on it. Another finger was added as Ignis moved lower to tease his chest and nipples with his mouth. Gladio raked his fingers in the strategists hair as he worked while his other hand gripped the sheets like a lifeline. “Fuck… Iggy,” he gasped as his nipple was sucked particularly hard. “Please…” he said as his prostate was hit again and the word morphed into a moan.

Thankfully, Ignis didn’t need to be asked a second time. Withdrawing his fingers, he slid on a condom and lubed himself liberally before lining up. Pushing in with one hard thrust that dashed the air from Gladio’s lungs, it only took a few quick position adjustments before their lips were together and Ignis started to fuck him in earnest. The headboard slammed against the wall with every thrust and it wasn’t long before Gladio began to feel the telltale falter in Ignis’ movements.

This wouldn’t last long.

Moaning into his mouth, Ignis got a good grip of Gladio’s hair, pulling his head up to expose his neck as Ignis switched his assault to his pulse, nipping and sucking hard enough to leaving a mark. Seeing the normally stoic strategist coming so completely undone went straight to Gladio’s cock, spurring him toward orgasm faster than he thought possible.

Lifting his head up, Ignis pressed his forehead to Gladio’s. They were both covered in sweat and breathing hard as Ignis gasped something that might have been Gladio’s name. Reaching down between them Gladio took himself in his hand and stroked himself quickly before Ignis gave a few final thrusts and his whole body tensed with a moan.

For the first time, Gladio legitimately wished they weren’t using a condom so he could feel Ignis come inside him. He hit his own limit like a kick from a spiral corn a few seconds later, making a thorough mess between them an instant before Ignis collapsed on top of him.

Laying there together, gasping, exhausted, and sticky, they didn’t say a word until their breathing slowly returned to normal. Rolling to one side, Ignis discarded the condom and handed Gladio a few tissues to clean up before rolling back over and resting his head on his tattooed chest.

Basking in the glow, Gladio slowly started to realize that all the excitement had opened up some of the bite wounds on his leg. Sighing, he ran his fingers through Ignis’ hair, wondering briefly if the strategist had fallen asleep.

Answering his silent question, Ignis said, “We should probably clean up or we’re going to need new sheets.”

Chuckling, Gladio leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “Good to have you back, Iggy.”

Ignis sighed. Deep and content as he ran a finger over the lines of Gladio’s abs. “What you were going to ask in the bathroom…”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think it matters.”

“What do you mean?”

Another sigh. “Despite the fact that Ardyn was likely the one to plant the seed of doubt in the first place, I think it would be best if we just continued doing what we’ve been doing; Protecting the people, taking out criminals and daemons where we can, and in general trying to make life in this dark world as best we can.” He shifted his weight and rested his chin on Gladio’s chest, looking up at him. His green eyes clear and confident in the dim light of the room. “Whether Noct comes back tomorrow or a hundred years from now, we should make sure the world he comes back to is worth saving.”

The embers of Gladio’s heart that had slowly been smothered over the past few months was hit with such a gust of oxygen that he could practically feel the heat radiating through his ribs. Not only was Ignis back, but he seemed stronger than ever. A phoenix rising from the ashes.

Running a hand along Ignis’ scarred cheek, Gladio spoke before he thought. “And that’s why I love you.”

As soon as he said it, Gladio held his breath. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been feeling it, but the words were true. Somewhere between Insomnia and now, he’d fallen in love with his fellow Crownsguardsmen, but now that he actually said it he braced himself for the strategist’s response. After everything that had happened today, adding awkwardness to the list wasn’t something he intended to do.

Ignis’ expression didn’t change. Instead he just leaned in and kiss Gladio, long and slow before pulling back. “The feeling is mutual.”

Gladio smiled, relieved and lifted.

Sitting up, Ignis swung his legs to the edge of the bed. “Come. We should shower and get a good night sleep. We’re going to be busy for the next few days.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Ignis turned back to him, his expression suddenly serious. “We’re going to get Prompto back.”

 

~X~X~X

Phew! Sorry that took so long for me to write. The last chapter was so heavy I needed to take a quick break. Please let me know what you think? Comments always help motivate me to write more.

Thanks for the 100th time to Goldslactuar for many late night brainstorms.

 


	14. Desert Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto bumps into some unfriendly familiar faces, shit blows up, and there's an infant at Hammerhead. I suck at summaries.

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 14

~5.8 years~

 

It was a quiet night in Leide. A night when the sky was clear and the moon shone so brightly that one might remember what day looked like outside the harsh glow of the spotlights. The air was pleasantly cool and lacked its usual oppressive humidity. If one smelled the wind just right, you might be able to detect the faintest trace of snow somewhere off in the future. A lone owl hooted in the distance.

All of these things, painting a serene landscape of the desert as one of quintessential peace and rest.

It was a shame that all of it was a lie.

Prompto arrived at Hammerhead atop the back of a scarred silver chocobo. One of her eyes was pale and she missed a patch of feathers on the left side of her face, but with a proper rider to guide her she was one of the fastest and most sure footed among the small flock remaining under the residence of Hammerhead’s protection.

Trotting into the section of garage that had been converted into a stable, Prompto slid off the bird and began to undo the straps of her saddle. “Good job, Jenova. Good girl.” He scratched the feathers underneath her wings and lead her into her stall where fresh water and some gyshal greens were waiting.

Watching his bird eat, Prompto’s stomach growled loudly before he hoisted the saddle bags over one shoulder and made his way to Takka’s.

The small diner had more people in it than usual tonight. It was to be expected with the sudden influx of daemons emerging from the caverns a day’s ride south of Hammerhead. Despite the darkness and lack of infrastructure, some people still tried to make it out in the wilderness. A few people had set up small blocks of protection around havens, using wind turbines or hydro-energy to power the lights, but that was unreliable at best.

Not to mention it wasn’t the most reputable people who stayed outside the meager city limits.

Quickly scanning the crowd, Prompto pulled his hood further up to cover his face along with the bandanna he’d become accustomed to tying around his neck for the same reason. The black hoodie and skull print mask did little to make him more intimidating based on stature alone, but at least most criminals didn’t recognize him as the man who once handed them over to the Marshalls.

Looking around the room and noticing several patrons missing fingers and ears. With the world lacking any sort of prison system, marshal law was the only written law of the land. If you were a thief or poacher, you lost a few fingers. Heavy assault was an ear. More extreme crimes resulted in the loss of a hand, arm, tongue, or… Well… the Marshals frequently left those guilty of more substantial crimes like rape, murder, and human trafficking to wander the daemon infested wasteland after their pound of flesh had been paid. No weapons. No resources. No shelter.

Most of those were never seen from again and if they were, normally it was in pieces. Assuming they hadn’t turned into a daemon themselves at some point. There never really was any way to tell unless someone witnessed the transition.

Weaving his way through the crowd, Prompto approached the young woman behind the counter and put down the heavy bag on the bar. Stella looked up at him and smiled warmly. “Evening, Brother. What have you brought us tonight?”

“Syphertail. Found a whole den of young ones.” He patted the bag. “There’s one soft-shell in there too. Just finished molting. Wanna fry it up and split it before someone else gets the pleasure? I’m starved.”

She gave a little jump of excitement and clapped her hands together. “You bet! Just give me a minute to break it down.”

Leaving most of the remaining scorpion carcasses in the oversized sink behind the bar, Stella gutted and chopped up the soft-shell arachnid, battered it, and dropped it in the fryer before turning to the others. Chopping them into pieces with an oversized cleaver, she paid Prompto no mind as he leaned over the bar and grabbed a mead from his private stash. It was a small price to pay for his added help around the outpost.  

Slipping his bandana down to his chin and tucking his hood up higher, he took a swig of his drink and listened to the din of the crowd behind him for a few minutes.

“…Quay’s been full of tonberries for months.”

“Those things are insane. Don’t ever take them on if you…”

“Phillip turned last week. He’d had the scourge for a while and we weren’t able to get to Lestallum for the…”

“…that Glaive that escorted Lady Lunafreya from the city. Yeah, he’s working out of Lestallum last I…”

“Gonna rain next week.”

“…hear the Immortal has a kid…”

“No, I don’t know how the fuck the plants keep growing with no sun. What do I look like, a botanist?”

“Well what about the animals….”

“Shinra company offered to help, but I don’t trust them after the…”

“Balthier has been bringing supplies to Altissia again. Thank the Six. Not many people have the luxury of an airship outside the Niffs…”

“Why would a pirate….”

“…Brothers over there. They heard word that the person that....”

“…Caem is vacant…”

“…pretty butthurt about losing some fingers. You don’t thin that they’ll…”

The clatter of a plate in front of Prompto brought him back to the world as Stella laid a heaping pile of fried soft-shell scorpion in front of him. Complete with a side of cocktail sauce. “Order up. Enjoy.”

Clapping his hands together in a prayer pose, he silently thanked her before delving into his meal.

Dropping the second helping into the fryer, Stella turned her attention to doing some dishes in the corner. They would be closing for the evening soon.

Half way through his scorpion, Prompto cracked a section of torso in half and was pleased to find a perfectly cooked pouch of roe, which he slurped up loudly. After swallowing he wiped his greasy lips with the back of his hand. “Thanks for putting that bit aside for me, Stell. You always know my favorite bits.”

The other blonde beamed at him from the sink. “No problem, Sugar. Anything for my-” Suddenly her eyes shifted behind him and went wide.

A heavy hand fell on Prompto’s shoulder. He turned to see who was interrupting his meal when his gaze landed on a heavily tattooed neck and thick beard. The hand on his shoulder was missing its pinky and ring fingers.

The voice was as rough as gravel. “Evening, Blondie.”

Shrugging his shoulder to dislodge the hand, he stood up from the stool and faced the larger man. Despite the fact that the other man was a head taller than Prompto, he kept his shoulders back. He knew he recognized the face from somewhere, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it. “Can I help you?”

Another man appeared from behind him, just as big, just as ugly, with a small garula tusk gaged in his left ear lobe.

Recognition hit him like a truck and Prompto swallowed hard. It was the Tusk Brothers. After getting them arrested three years ago he’d hoped to never have the displeasure of running into them again. Luck, as it would seem, was not with him.

The brother closest to him snorted. “I think we have some unfinished business to attend to. That was a dirty trick you played on us last time.” He shook his head. “Wont end like that this time around.”

“I’m sorry,” Prompto said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must be thinking of someone else.”

His fingers itched to pull his gun out of the armiger, but there were too many people in the room. A stray bullet would hit someone for sure.

“I don’t think so, Sweetheart. Tough to forget that face, even if you’re not wearing your twink glasses,” the other brother said, more gravely than the first. “Let’s step out back and finish what we started.” He reached out to grab Prompto’s shirt, but he stepped away. His back made contact with the bar.

Despite himself, a nervous laugh escaped him. “Sorry guys, little busy tonight. Maybe a raincheck?”

Prompto noticed some of the other patrons stand up from their seats and step away from the three of them. A few of the smart ones slinked out the door completely.

The larger brother closed in so close that Prompto could smell his rancid breath. He felt sick as the man’s remaining fingers slid around his belt and got a good grip. “I don’t think so. I seem to remember you saying you were all about being double-teamed before you went and stunned us naked and handed us over to the Marshals”

Prompto’s hands searched the bar behind him for something solid. His fingers grazed the edge of his full bottle of mead.

The other brother stepped closer too, boxing him into the corner of the bar. Reaching out he grabbed Prompto by the throat and squeezed hard enough to restrict breathing. “You’d better bite down on something this time Blondie, because I don’t care if we need to fuck you over this bar in front of everyone, you’re going to pay for the fingers we lost in flesh. One way or another.”

The click-clack of a shotgun drew their attention away for an instant as Stella pointed Cindy’s sawed-off at their heads. “Get the fuck away from him,” she warned, but they didn’t budge.

The brother with his grip around Prompto’s throat tilted his head and smirked. “It would help if the safety wasn’t on, Precious.”

When Stella went to fumble with the safety, he reached out and grabbed the barrel of the gun, trying to wrench it out of her hand. Prompto took the opportunity to lean back into the bar for leverage, raise is foot and kick the brother wrestling with the gun square in the dick.

Before the other brother could even react, Prompto grabbed his bottle of mead and smashed it over his head as hard as he could. The bottle shattered, spraying alcohol and blood everywhere as the man faltered and released Prompto’s belt. Prompto did an awkward tuck and roll over the bar just as the first brother was recovering from the nut-shot.

Unfortunately, he also had the shot-gun in his hand.

Staggering toward the bar, he raised the weapon at Prompto.

“Hey!” Stella shouted. He glanced at her an instant before she picked up the frying basket, full of hot oil and scorpion, and dumped it directly on his face.

The gun clattered to the bar as he fell to his knees and began to scream. His flesh already began to well up with blisters by the time Prompto grabbed the shotgun, made sure the safety was off, and shot him in the chest.

His screaming stopped, but the room erupted as the other patrons started tripping over each other in their attempts to flee.

Prompto moved the gun to the other brother but faltered when he saw the man was using one of the patrons as a shield. The woman cried out as he backed his way out of the diner, holding her by the collar of her shirt as he did. He was bleeding profusely from one side of his head, caking his filthy beard in blood. “You son of a bitch!” He howled. “This isn’t over. You’re so fucking dead. Understand that? Dead!”

Prompto might have been able to get a clean shot in, but there were still so many people fleeing that there was no way there would be collateral damage. Prompto lowered his weapon before the remaining Tusk Brother backed out of the door. He threw the woman to the dirt before turning tail and running off into the darkness.

By the time Prompto climbed over the bar and made it outside, he was gone.

“What the fresh hell is going on?” called Cindy as she approached from the garage. “We heard a gunshot and- oh!” She put a hand over her mouth when she saw the burned bloodied mess on the floor. Stella was still behind the bar, running water over her hand. Some of the oil must have burned her too.

Turning to Prompto and pulling Jezebel out of his grip, Cindy put her hand on her hip. “Start explaining. Now.”

~

Two nights later Prompto sat perched on a spire of rock next to the Hammerhead haven. He made sure to mention to as many people as he could that he would be sleeping at the haven while doing his usual check in at Hammerhead earlier that day. Dave mentioned that the last Tusk Brother had been stalking around, asking for Prompto’s whereabouts and seemed to be garnering help from a few other known criminals in the area. Whatever he was planning, he seemed to be making sure that the odds would be in his favor this time.

Prompto couldn’t really blame him, but then again after receiving that amount of hot oil in the face, a gunshot to the chest was probably a mercy for his brother more than anything. Still, no matter what blame was placed where, there was no way Prompto was sleeping within the walls of Hammerhead until he was sure it was safe. He wasn’t going to endanger anyone else with his presence.

Cindy had made sure Stella was scarce too. Just to be sure.

Idly chewing on some jerky, Prompto shifted in his perch and picked up his sniper rifle. The night-vision scope gave a green clear view of the haven. He’d set up a tent along with a mannequin with his clothes on it. It wasn’t hard to position it near the fire pit, gazing at the flames and hunched over as if dozing. Prompto had put a small skewer of meat over the fire to add to the affect.

Bait set, he set an extra surprise next to the fire in the form of a small cooler before retreating to his spire of rock.

After that, he didn’t have to wait for long.

It was nearly midnight with the waning moon high overhead, when he started to see some figures approaching the haven. Looking through his scope he counted six of them as they fanned out silently, staying outside the light of the haven’s fire as they did. Prompto probably could have taken them out here, but if he shot one the rest would scatter and he would be spending another night hiding and fearing for his life. Not to mention the danger Hammerhead would be in.

No, he had to be patient. This had to end tonight.

Scanning the group, it didn’t take Prompto long before he found the remaining Tusk Brother, approaching the mannequin at the haven from behind while the others converged on it from all points. They were silent as they climbed the edge of the glowing rock, knives and swords drawn.

None of them had guns. They probably didn’t want to attract any attention from the local wildlife and daemons.

It was a shame Prompto had every intention of doing the opposite.

Now on the haven, the Tusk Brother approached the mannequin from behind, raised his knife, and stabbed down onto its back.

“What the fuck?” he heard him say when the plastic figure slumped to one side.  

 _He wouldn’t have even looked me in the eye when he killed me_ , though Prompto bitterly as he released the safety and waited for the other five members of the gang to climb onto the rock. _I should probably return the favor._

Lining up his crosshairs on the small cooler, and the stock of grenades within, Prompto squeezed the trigger.

~

It had taken Ignis and Gladio nearly three months to get a ride to Hammerhead. The roads had been in shambles, daemons were running rampant in Cleigne, and aside from the odd chocobo nobody was even heading out east until a clear full moon so they could see all the craters in the asphalt. There had been too many broken axles and lost tires for anyone to risk a trip just to retrieve one wayward lover.

Hammerhead was a ghost town when they finally arrived. The normal crowd of traders and hunters were scarce as were the staff. After wandering around for a while they finally found Takka and Cindy in the diner, patching up the linoleum in the floor and scrubbing blood off the bar.

“Good heavens,” Ignis said when he walked in. “What happened?”

Cindy stood up, pulled off her rubber gloves, and sighed. “Nothing out of the ordinary in these parts. Just another bar fight where someone ended up dead. Least this time we didn’t have to replace any of the windows.” She wagged her scrub brush at them. “That boy of yours really knows how to piss off the wrong people. I don’t know what y’all said or did to him, but he’s had a two-ton chip on his shoulder since he arrived. You all have a lovers quarrel?”

Ignis cleared his throat. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that she knew about them. It was her job to know what was going on in her outpost and Prompto had been there for nearly half a year. “Something like that. Is he alright? Where is he now?”

She dropped the scrub brush in the soapy bucket. “The official word is that he’s at the haven over yonder, but I would stay away if I were you. Somethin’s probably goin’ down tonight and it’s gonna be ugly.”

“How come?” Gladio asked. “Everything alright?”

“Hell, no it aint! He went and kicked a hornet’s nest and he’s got half the varmints in Leide looking for his head on a pike. I kept telling him he needed to call the Marshals, but noooooo he said he had to handle it all by his lonesome.”

“Cindy,” said Gladio. “Seriously, what’s happening? We-”

The sound of an explosion rocked the outpost hard enough to crack one of the windows in the diner. Cindy sighed. “Well… so much for no broken windows. That’s probably Prompto’s doin’.”

Looking outside, Ignis and Gladio saw the plume of fire and smoke rising from the haven across the street.

“Gladio,” Ignis said.

“I know. Let’s go.”

~

The shock wave from the blast nearly dislodged Prompto from his perch as the haven became a sea of fire and screaming. Once the flames abated he held up his sniper rifle again and tried to assess the damage. Unfortunately, he hadn’t counted on the light from the fire messing with the night-vision. Everything through the scope was too bright and blurred by the smoke as he scanned the haven for survivors. He couldn’t make out who was who, but it was clear that at least three of the men on the haven (or what was left of them) were dead.

One lay sprawled on the ground to the edge of the rock, burned and bleeding profusely from his destroyed leg. Prompto put a bullet in his head before moving on to the rest of the area.

Another was limping away toward the road, Prompto dropped him too just before the ground began to open up in a pool of blackness as an enormous flan oozed its way to the surface. The daemon was on the downed body in an instant, absorbing the corpse like an amoeba.

A scream to his right pulled his attention to another burnt man trying to make a break for the rocky hills. The explosion had drawn a pack of fire bombs, who surrounded the singed man before the screaming grew louder.

Movement back in the direction of Hammerhead drew Prompto’s attention away from the daemons eating. Two more figures were running toward the haven instead of away from it. Prompto had initially counted six in the gang, but it was dark and he must have missed some. Maybe they were backup? How many men had the dead Brother recruited?

The smoke was blowing in between him and the two forms, but the fire had diminished enough that Prompto could make out their green outlines in his scope. He lined up his crosshairs on the larger of the two forms and fired.

It wasn’t until the bullet deflected off a familiar shield and a yelp of pain echoed into the desert air did Prompto realize his mistake. “Gladio?” Looking through the scope again he saw the smaller figure down, clutching his leg. Behind the two of them the ground opened up again as the flaming sword of a red giant started to pull itself toward the surface.

“Shit.” Banishing his sniper rifle into the armiger, Prompto slid down the rock spire as fast as he could. He’d counted on the explosion and blood in the air to attract daemons to finish off whomever was left after the blast, but unfortunately it had worked too well. He could hear the telltale thrum of yet another daemon emerging he didn’t stop running to find out what kind.

“Ignis! Gladio!” he called as he approached them.

Gladio still had his shield up and was hunched behind it with Ignis beside him. “Prompto?”

“Sorry sorry sorry! I didn’t know it was you.” He said franticly. “How bad is it?”

“Just a flesh wound,” Ignis groaned and held the grazed bullet wound in his thigh. Thankfully it didn’t look too deep, but it was still bleeding pretty bad. “We saw the explosion…”

Gladio banished the shield and helped Ignis to his feet. “Less talk, more running. Prompto, cover us.”

Prompto nodded. “Right.” Summoning his pistols, Prompto kept the daemons at a distance while they made their way back to Hammerhead. It was slow going with Ignis’ injured leg, but before long they were beneath the glow of the outpost spotlights and the daemons stopped their pursuit and ambled off elsewhere into the night.

Cindy and a few others were waiting with a medical kit at the gate for them. “Let’s get him in the garage so we can see what we’re dealing with,” she said once the gate was secure. Gladio helped Ignis the rest of the way while Cindy turned toward the gunslinger. “You about done wrecking the place?”

Prompto swallowed hard, looking guilty. “I think so. That gang won’t be bothering us again.”

Cindy looked at him hard. “They better not. You’re a big help around here, but Six you are not good at making friends out in these parts.”

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry…”

“Come on. Let’s go fix up the hole in your boyfriend’s leg.”

~

While Hammerhead was low on potions and curatives, it still had plenty of alcohol. They gave Ignis a few shots of something harsh smelling before stitching him up and making him as comfortable as possible on one of the workshop benches in the garage. Thankfully the shot was just a glancing one and hadn’t hit anything important.

Prompto didn’t leave his side the whole time. “Iggy,” he said once Dave finished the last stitch and covered the wound with gauze. He took one of Ignis’ hands in his. “I’m so sorry… I’d told everyone here to stay away from the haven. I never imagined you and Gladio would… I could have killed you.”

Ignis rubbed his eyes, a little drunk from the alcohol. “Yes, well… I suppose it’s my fault you’re out here in the first place. I shouldn’t have shouted at you and I certainly should have struck you.”

“Yeah well, you can slap me plenty after this.” Prompto gestured at his leg.

Ignis chuckled. “Don’t tempt me with a good time.”

Eyes wide, Prompto gasped. “Iggy, did you just crack a joke? You must be drunk.”

Ignis made a ‘just a little’ gesture with his hand. Gladio laughed.

There was a space of silence before they heard a baby crying. Gladio and Ignis looked up surprised as Aranea entered the room, holding a little bundle swaddled in her arms. “Well, when I felt the explosion and heard we were treating someone Prompto shot in here I certainly didn’t expect to see you two jokers.”

Gladio stood up and looked down at the baby in her arms and swallowed hard. “Aranea… is that…” he gestured at himself and Prompto. “Is that from the night we…”

“Nobody told you?” She chuckled lightly and rocked the infant in her arms, drawing out the moment while she watched the royal shield stew in his own anxiety. “This is Coraline. She was brought to us last week from Old Lestallum. Cor didn’t even know he was a father. Besides, your math is off by about two months.”

A mixture of relief and disappointment washed over Gladio at the news that the baby wasn’t his. Not that he never wanted to be a dad, but he really didn’t want to bring another life into the world the way it was.

“Wanna say hi?” Aranea pulled the blankets away from the infant’s face. The little girl stirred and pouted at being disturbed.

Gladio smiled. “Oh yeah, that’s Cor’s frown. That’s his kid alright.” He looked back up. “Where is the Marshal anyway?”

“On his way back from Caem. He was down there when this little one arrived.” Aranea bounced the baby in her arms. “He hasn’t met her yet.”

“Can I see her?” asked Ignis with a slight slur.

Aranea smirked at him and crouched down so he could see her. “Well you sound like you’re feeling no pain.”

Reaching out, Ignis traced his finger over the tiny hand poking out from the blanket. “Motherhood looks good on you,” he said idly as the baby yawned.

Aranea smiled. “Well I was one once. For a couple of minutes.”

The three of them froze. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

She seemed to sense the tension in the room. “Don’t worry about it. I was very young and very stupid. We found him a good home and I’ve had plenty of years to get over it.” Coraline began to fuss in Aranea’s arms and soon no amount of cooing and rocking was going to calm her. “Well, I think someone’s hungry again. We have a decent amount of powdered milk stocked, but if any of you come across any formula or a wet nurse please send them our way.”

Ignis nodded. “We will.”

“We’ll keep an eye out.”

“Well I’ll let you all talk. I’m sure you have plenty to catch up on.” She departed without waiting for a response.

When the hungry fussing of the baby was out of earshot the three of them looked at each other, waiting for one of them to speak first. Thankfully, the alcohol loosened Ignis’ lips. “Prompto… we’ve been talking a lot about what was said before you left. About doubts of Noctis returning.”

Prompto sat down on the cement floor next to the bench. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about that a lot too.”

“Gladio and I have decided that we will still prepare and hope for Noct coming back, whenever that may be, but that everything we do wont _just_ be for him.”

Gladio crossed his arms and nodded. “Yeah. We’ve decided that we’re going to do what we must to keep things going and improve the quality of life where we can until he gets back. We’re going to try and make it worth all the time he’s spent in the crystal. All the time he’s sacrificed.”

“We want to make it a world worthy of him saving.” Gladio put a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “And we also want you to come home. It’s not the same without you.”

Prompto looked up at Gladio and Ignis, biting his lip. He’d been waiting for them to say that for months, and now that they finally had… “I can’t.”

Ignis squeezed Prompto’s hand. “Why not?”

Prompto gestured to the garage around him. “It’s like you said, we have to help where we can. Hammerhead is in shambles and there’s more daemons by the day. There are bandits and murderers _everywhere_. Cid is too weak and stubborn to move and Cindy sure as hell isn’t leaving. Aranea takes out as many daemons as she can and so does Cor, but now we have an infant to take care of on top of everything.” He shook his head. “I can’t go back to Lestallum. They need me here.”

Ignis and Gladio looked at each other. They’d suspected that this might be the case.

Gladio squeezed Prompto’s shoulder reassuringly. “Well then. I guess we’re moving to Hammerhead.”

 

~X~X~X

Thank you again to everyone who has stuck around so far to read this beast. This chapter marks it at over 63,000 words. Damn. Even I didn’t suspect it to be this long. And they haven’t even hit six years yet.

The next few chapters will go into their efforts in Leide, but don’t worry you wont have to wait too long for Noct to come home.

Thanks again to Goldslactuar for brainstorming. Comments are always appreciated.

 

 


	15. Short Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving out of Lestallum, Gladio gets a promotion, and Ignis gets an unexpected visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were a few things I wanted to happen before Noct returned, but as much as I tried I couldn't make them full chapters. This and the following chapter will be a few drabbles between the last chapter and the return of Noctis. Hope you like it :)

DEVIATION OF FATE

CHAPTER 15

 

~5.9 Years~

The sound of the apartment door opening roused Ignis from his impromptu nap as Gladio walked in. “Woops,” Gladio said apologetically. “Didn’t know you were sleeping.”

Ignis stretched from his position on the futon, wincing at the lingering tightness of the healing wound in his thigh. “It’s quite alright. I wasn’t even aware I’d fallen asleep. All this moving must have taken it out of me.”

Gladio nodded and scanned the room at the stacks of boxes. They’d decided to leave the futons, television, and bookshelves for Libertus, who would be moving in in their stead. They’d spent the better part of the day packing up their clothes, books, kitchen items, and the like. The two of them had the bed in the truck already though. Good mattresses were hard to come by these days and they certainly weren’t going to make Libertus sleep on something so *ehem* seasoned. Plus, from what Prompto told them about Hammerhead, real mattresses were a rare luxury.

Gladio flopped down on the futon next to him. “The truck is all fueled up and ready to go. We just need to get all this stuff down there and we’ll be on the road in no time.”

Ignis leaned on Gladio’s shoulder and put his hand on the larger man’s thigh. Looking up at the sunrise mural Prompto painted on the opposite wall, he sighed. “I still can’t believe we’re leaving. This place has so many memories.”

“Good and bad,” Gladio added. “But it’ll be good to have a change of scenery. Sania’s got the clinic handled and Monica will run the hunts and law enforcement with us gone. I’m just not looking forward to being on the road so much for the next few months.”

“Yes, well, the roads do need to be fixed if we’re going to start improving Hammerhead. All the efforts will be for naught if we can’t drive there safely. Besides,” he rubbed a little harder on Gladio’s thigh. “We’ll just have to make the best of our time together between jobs.” Leaning over he placed a kiss on Gladio’s pulse and shifted his hand further up his thigh.

Gladio smirked and leaned into the kiss. “Someone’s in a good mood.”

“I had a nice dream.”

“Wanna tell me about it?”

“Later. Right now I don’t want to be doing much talking.” Ignis’ hand slid up to cup the forming bulge in Gladio’s pants. Turning his head to return the kiss, Gladio moved his hand away.

“As much,” kiss, “as I would love to do this right now, our escort leaves in an hour. We gotta get this stuff downstairs and out of here soon.”

Reluctantly, Ignis pulled away, taking a deep breath to center himself. “You’re probably right.”

“Buuuutt,” Gladio smiled at him wolfishly. “I’d love to take care of that for you really quick. There’s something I’ve always wanted to try, but always thought you’d say no.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because it involved us having sex in the kitchen. We’ve been here for years and we’ve never done it.”

Gladio was right, Ignis would have told him that it was unsanitary and they cook on that surface, but the erection straining in his pants was bypassing his logic. Smirking back at his lover, Ignis bit his lip. “If you think you can be efficient…”

“Really?”

Ignis traced his fingers along Gladio’s scruffy chin and kissed him. “It’s not like we’ll get another opportunity. Let’s just make sure we clean up thoroughly before we lea-” His words were cut short as Gladio scooped him up in his arms, carried him the few steps to the kitchenette, and placed him down to sit on the counter. Wordlessly, Gladio made short work of Ignis’ belt and zipper before sliding his pants down to his ankles and taking the strategist’s leaking member into his mouth. “Astrals,” Ignis gasped and ran his fingers through Gladio’s hair.

Between being worked up by his dream and Gladio’s enthusiasm, he knew this wouldn’t take very long.

Gladio was thorough, taking him as far as he could with quick eager bobs of his head and twisting what he couldn’t reach with his saliva coated fingers. Normally when they had sex, the oral was a work-up to intercourse, but the fact that he was actively trying to bring him to climax with oral alone was thrilling.

The other hand slid down from Ignis’ thigh as Gladio unzipped himself and released his hard cock to the air, stroking it eagerly while he worked.

It wasn’t long before Ignis started to feel the coil of orgasm wind itself up. “Mmmm, won’t be long now. Was there anything else you wanted to do in this room before we left?”

Gladio slid his member out of his mouth and smirked. “Well… now that you mention it.” He pulled away for an instant and crouched down, sliding Ignis’ tangled pants and feet behind his head while in the same movement grabbing Ignis around the waist and picked him up.

Lifting and pinning him to the corner cabinetry, Ignis gripped onto the tops of the faux wood cabinets to steady himself. “Goodness!” he gasped. His head was inches from the ceiling and for the first time Ignis was thankful that they didn’t have a ceiling fan.

“Hang on to something,” Gladio said before resuming where he left off. The new angle gave Gladio access to delve a little deeper as he slid Ignis back down his throat. After a moment to make sure he wouldn’t drop him, Gladio slid his free hand down again to resume stroking himself eagerly while he worked.

Ignis shifted his weight slightly and put a hand on the ceiling to steady himself. He’d grown to appreciate Gladio’s manhandling, but this was another level. His orgasm was careening to the front as he raked his fingers through the shields hair and grabbed so hard it probably hurt. Instead of complaining, Gladio growled. The vibrations sent a jolt right to his core as he arched his back against the cabinets and gasped his lovers name as he came.

Still holding him up, Gladio slid his head back and swallowed. Licking his lips before placing a light bite on Ignis’ inner thigh. “I might never cut my hair again if you promise to keep yanking it like that.”

Ignis chuckled and winced as Gladio nibbled his thigh again. “Enjoy that, did you?”

Gladio held up his come covered hand for Ignis to see. “Ya think?”

Sliding down the cabinets, Ignis braced himself as Gladio put him back down on the counter and untangled himself from Ignis’ legs. He rinsed his hands off in the sink and handed Ignis a paper towel.

“I think that might have been a record for me.” Ignis said as he cleaned himself up and slid his pants back up.

“Ditto.” Gladio dried his hands before leaning in and giving Ignis a quick kiss. “If you wanna give things a quick wipe down I’ll start running the boxes down to the truck. Good?”

“Sounds like a plan.” He kissed him back and went to find the bottle of cleaner.

 

~6.5 Years~

The cooing of the baby in the adjacent room stirred Aranea awake. Their small room still smelled of fresh paint and pine beams, but it was a _room_. Two rooms to be exact, if you included the living space where Coraline’s crib was.

The three-story building was the first residential property to be completed in Hammerhead since the roads had been fixed. Now that the pathway was lit and free of road hazards (not including daemons), trucks and supplies were more easily transported from Lestallum and other outposts.

First the garage was retrofitted into a half-stable for the growing population of chocobos and a storage unit for Hammerhead’s supplies of curatives. Next was the residential building for the more permanent residents of the outpost. Cindy and Cid got the first floor since the old mechanic’s leg no longer let him navigate stairs, but the rest was up for grabs for Takka, Dave, and the other hunters.

Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio chose a larger one-bedroom on the top floor despite the fact that the probably deserved the whole floor. But the trio insisted that they weren’t using it for more than a bedroom, bathroom, and to keep their belongings in so the extra space wasn’t necessary.

Most of the free rooms were currently fitted with temporary bunk beds and used as hostel for the construction crew and passing hunter who had the gil to pay for it.

Initially Aranea had crashed with Cor a few passing nights, telling herself it was somewhere to rest her head after the two of them blew off some steam beneath the sheets. But after a while she began staying there on a more permanent basis. Truth be told she’d grown very fond of The Marshal and his little bastard.

Coraline cooed again and could be heard moving around in her crib before she started to fuss.

Aranea shifted again traced her fingernails through the salt and pepper hairs on Cor’s chest. “Babe… Babe… the runt is awake.”

The older man grumbled and rolled over to face her. One ice blue eye opened. “Is it morning yet?”

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Aranea smiled. “She let you sleep till nearly six. I wonder if she knew what day it was.”

Smirking, Cor leaned in and kissed her forehead before sliding out of bed and finding his pants. He yawned and stretched, earning a few pops of his shoulder. “Did you tell Gladio?”

“Nope. I lied and told him I needed help with a mission today, so he and the other dorks would stick around.” She slid from the sheets herself and stood, reaching for her robe she’d discarded on the floor last night. No use in going back to bed now. “I did have to tell Iris though. She would have run off on a hunt last night otherwise. She nearly cried when I told her.”

Cor chuckled. “I think she has more emotions in her than her father and brother combined.”

“And her mother?”

Cor pulled a shirt on and sighed wistfully. “Dahlia was a firecracker. You would have liked her.”

“I’ll bet.”

As Cor walked out the bedroom door, Aranea heard the baby giggle at the sight of her father.

~

A few hours later, Cor stood with Monica on the small erected platform of a watch tower before a group of hunters and friends. Cindy held Coraline toward the back with Cid as the crowd of Hammerhead residents listened to what was supposed to be just a debriefing before a hunt.

Iris was the only one fidgeting with excitement where she stood next to her brother and the others. Gladio elbowed her. “You got ants in your pants, Kiddo?”

Looking up at him, she smiled broadly. “Nah… just… excited for the hunt is all.”

“It’s just some malboro. You’ve hunted dozens of them.”

“Shh. Cor’s starting.”

A hush fell on the crowd as The Marshal cleared his throat and addressed them. “As many of you know, I have been leading the Crownsguard and assisting Monica with the organization of hunting squads since Insomnia fell. We’ve made great progress in protecting the masses and rebuilding Lucis as best we can since the world went dark. We’ve also trained and raised a great many hunters and leaders in this difficult world. Some of which have become even better than I once was.” There was a pause. “Which is why I’ve decided that it’s time to step down as Captain of the Crownsguard and let someone else don the mantle.”

The crowd around him started murmuring. Small hushed gasps could be heard from some.

Prompto leaned over and whispered. “Did you guys know about this?”

Ignis shook his head. “No. I knew The Marshal was talking about retiring someday, but I never imagined it would be so soon.”

Gladio froze as The Immortal turned his attention to him. “Gladiolus.” He waved his hand, beckoning him.

Iris put a hand on her brothers back and gave him a push when he didn’t move. “Get up there you dope.”

The eldest living Amicitia walked through the crowd silently as people parted for him in.  Climbing the few steps to the platform he stood next to Cor and Monica and looked out on the crowd. He swallowed hard.

Cor cleared his throat again, rendering the last whispers silent. “While I am stepping down as Captain I do not plan on hanging up my hat quite yet. I will be taking a small band of volunteer hunters and Glaives back to Insomnia where we will try and curtail the growing daemon infestation. If you are interested, please see Monica for details after I finish.” She nodded and gestured to her side of the platform. “As for the rest of you; Glaives, hunters, fellow marshals, and civilians alike, please treat your new Captain with the same respect and loyalty you’ve given to me. I can think of nobody better to hold the title than the man standing next to me right now.”

By now Gladio’s breath was caught in his throat. Scarcely believing what he was hearing as Cor turned to him and placed a fist across his own chest in salute. “Captain Gladiolus Amicitia, I leave the future of Lucis in your hands.”

After a brief pause, Gladio returned the salute and bowed lightly in return to his mentor, utterly at a loss for words.

“Speech!” Iris called from the crowd.

Aranea echoed her, bouncing Coraline on her hip.

Gladio took a minute, gazing out onto the mass of hunters that were now looking to him for support and guidance. Technically they weren’t under his command, but that never mattered when Cor was the Captain, so he supposed it didn’t matter any less for him.

He swallowed hard again as heat began to flood his face. He really hoped it was dark enough for them not to notice he was blushing. “Well… This is an honor. Seriously. Betcha never thought I’d be standing here, huh?” He asked quietly to no one in particular. “It’s been an honor to work with you all these past years. I know it hasn’t been easy. Hell… that’s an understatement if ever there was one.” There was a murmur of agreement. “When Insomnia fell and the world began to go dark I thought about a lot of things. Death, revenge, those we lost…I’m sure you’ve all thought the same. That we’ve fallen short in the eyes of the Kings and the Six, or maybe the other way around. Either way, I’ve been there with you. We’ve seen some pretty heinous shit these past few years.” He looked out on the crowd to the scarred and thin faces before turning to Ignis, Prompto, Iris, and then to Stella and Coraline toward the back. “But I’ve also seen beacons of hope in the darkness. Signs that the world is still worth saving. Hammerhead alone is an example of what we can do in the face of chaos.” He gestured to the newly erected spotlights and second residential building going up across the plaza. “We may not have fully recovered what we were before the fall, but that doesn’t change what we are in our hearts. Your abilities may have gotten you this far, but our bond is what will keep us strong as we head forward. Now, lets continue to clean up this world and make it worth saving, not just for Noctis, but everyone.”

 

~7.9 Years~

There was no way they were making this much profit.

Ignis double checked the receipts again before going over his spread sheet of expenses, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. He still couldn’t believe it and yet, the numbers were all the same.

The Rising Sun brothel had tripled its profits in its first six months.

Leaning over the desk, Dino smirked at the strategist. “Well?”

Adjusting his glasses, Ignis flipped the calculator around so the jeweler turned brothel owner could see. “It appears your calculations were correct. It seems the old adage that ‘sex sells’ is as true as it has ever been.”

Dino pumped his fist. “Yeahhhhh, told ya!”

“You do realize a third of this still goes into the Hammerhead Infrastructure Fund. Correct?”

Sliding his accounting book back, Dino closed it with a snap. “Yeah yeah. No worries. I’ll cut you guys a check at the end of the month.” He shot Ignis a wink. “Or I could let you and your associates have a few free rides instead. Whadya say?”

“Thank you, but the check will suffice.” Ignis stood up and gathered his calculator and other supplies. It had been ages since he’d done proper accounting and it felt good to stretch those mental muscles again, even if it was for a whore house.

Ignis never was terribly fond of the idea of building a brothel in Hammerhead. Not because of the prostitutes (or escorts as they preferred), in his opinion people should be able to do what they wanted if it was consensual and if they could get paid for it, all the better. It was more like he wasn’t fond of the type of people brothels attracted. He’d seen a fair share of shady characters milling around the seedy brothels of Lestallum.

However, somehow under Dino’s guidance (and no small number of bouncers in the area) the Rising Sun thrived without the normal taint of drugs or abuse. Not only did it pull more money into the community, but the escorts themselves didn’t just bring their bodies to Hammerhead. Many of them were teachers, bakers, electricians, chemists, vet techs, or any number of professions in their former lives. While they were off duty, the women contributed to the maintenance of Hammerhead and some even opened up small side businesses of their own.

Ignis had heard a few traveling hunters call Hammerhead ‘The town that sex built,’ and while it wasn’t entirely _wrong_ , he felt they could probably come up with something a little more poetic.

A woman in a snug fitting black dress and midnight purple hair to match poked her head in the small office. “Sorry for interrupting, Mr. Scientia?”

“Yes, Celine, what can I do for you?”

“There’s a man and woman out here asking for you.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t expecting anyone. “Oh? What do they look like?”

“Actually, the gentlemen looks an awful lot like you and the woman…well…”

Ignis stood up. He knew who they were. “She has rabbit ears, doesn’t she?”

Celine nodded as Ignis apologized and squeezed through the doorway past her.

Once Ignis was out in the open air it didn’t take him long to find the pair. There was a group of about a dozen with them, but most were gravitated toward the taller of the two. Fran always did attract a crowd with her exotic appearance. Currently Stella was talking with her, Coraline toddling around her feet and pointing at Fran’s ears.

Walking up to the brunette man at her side, Ignis felt a pang of concern. Balthier’s past crimes as a pirate had been expunged due to the services he’d rendered after the darkness came, but it was still very rare to see him on land.

“Cousin,” Ignis said, holding a hand out in greeting. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Balthier shook his hand and smiled sadly. “Hello Ignis. Walk with me.” The two of them made their way away from the crowd toward Takka’s. Once they were in relative silence Balthier sighed. “Accordo has fallen.”

Ignis stopped walking and stared at his cousin. Balthier had been transporting supplies to Altissia and moving remaining refugees back to the main land for the better part of a decade. The damaged water city was overrun with daemons and starscourge, but with the medicine Ignis had sent with them the last few supply runs he’d hoped things would be on the up-swing. “What happened?”

Balthier crossed his arms and shook his head. “The infrastructure was so damaged after the hydrean that it was a miracle they even had electricity when the world went dark. Most people started coming to Lucis right away, but…” he shook his head again. “Some were too stubborn to leave. Thousands stayed behind as you know. They were doing well for a while, but last month daemons got to the hydro-electric damn. The whole thing ended up collapsing. The city had back-up generators here and there, but it wasn’t going to last for long. When First Secretary Claustra got infected… well… most decided to leave for good.”

Ignis put a hand over his mouth in shock. Camelia Claustra had been managing the aquatic city successfully for years. Things had been looking optimistic. “Is she dead?” Ignis asked.

“Last time we checked, no. She was alive when we left, but she was too far gone for the treatment by the time I got there with the supplies. She ordered that I take the remaining survivors to the main land and not come back. A few stayed with her but… I just finished dropping off most of my passengers at Caem and Lestallum, but a few wanted to come here specifically.”

“Anyone we’d know?”

“I would hope so.” Balthier gestured ahead to Takka’s.

When they walked in it didn’t take long before Ignis found the familiar party. Weskham was sitting quietly at the corner of the bar, a glass of liquor in front of him and a thousand-yard stare on his face. He looked terrible.

His normally well pressed vest and slacks looked like they hadn’t been washed in weeks, his hair had grown out and was no longer braided but simply tied back in a bun. The former Chamberlin must have now been around sixty years old by now, but the lines in his face went much deeper.

Ignis approached quietly, sliding next to the man so as not to startle him. “Weskham?” Ignis said, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’m so very sorry. About Accordo… about Camelia.”

There was a long pause, to the point where Ignis wasn’t sure the older man had heard him, but then Weskham turned. His left eye and ear were badly scarred from what appeared to be the work of imps or maybe a coeurl, though Ignis suspected the former. The ex-Chamberlain just put a hand over Ignis’ on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Is Cid still alive? Or Cor?”

“Cor has been in Insomnia for the better part of a year, but I’ll send word that you’re here. Cid’s alive, but he’s slowed down quite a bit.”

Weskham smiled weakly, as if it was the only good news he’d heard in some time. “Would you mind fetching him for me? I wonder if he can still drink me under the table like he used to.”

Ignis patted his shoulder and stood. “I’d wager he’d be up for the challenge. I’ll let Cindy know you’re here too. Will you be staying with us for a while?”

Weskham nodded. “I have nowhere else to be.”

“Very well. I’ll inquire with Cindy if we have a spare room.”

“That’s very accommodating of you, Ignis. Thank you.” Ignis gave his shoulder a final squeeze before turning to leave. On his way out, he gestured to Takka to put whatever Weskham ordered on his tab. He owed the man that much at least.

Balthier was waiting in the doorway, looking grim. “So, what now?”

“I think he’ll be staying here until he gets back on his feet. What about you?”

The pirate shrugged. “Well, there’s always supplies and people that need transport and the air seems to be the safest way to do it.”

“Would you and Fran require accommodations? I could look into a room for you as well.”

To that, Balthier just waved his hand. “Thank you, but no. Solid ground never really did anything for me and we’ve got quarters in the Strahl. Just give me somewhere safe to anchor and we’ll be fine.”

There was a pause as the two cousins looked over at the people still milling around Fran. “It’s good to see you again,” said Ignis. “Not many have family left in this world.”

Balthier nodded. “From what you’ve said in your letters, you’ve managed to secure something close to one here.”

“Yes,” Ignis said with a light smile. “I suppose I have.”

 

X~X~X

This chapter was going to be longer, a five part mini-story line, but I’ve had wicked writers block and only got three of them out. The rest will come soon, but I wanted to put these out before I forgot. Sorry they took so long.

 

 

 


	16. Return of the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis awakens and finds the world is not how he left it

*Special thanks to Goldslactuar for beta reading and editing. :)

 

~9.8 Years~

 

Noctis thought he was dreaming again.

 

A moment ago he was still in his meditative state. Stuck somewhere between sleep and wakefulness within the realm of the crystal.

 

The Draconian announced the ring had absorbed enough power. The scourge had weakened its hold on Eos and now the world waited for the return of the light.

 

The Draconian spoke of the sacrifice of so many to make the world ready for his return. Right now, the Usurper waited for him in the destroyed city he once called home. Invigorating power flowed into to Noctis and he fully, truly accepted... 

 

...Noct raised his head, disoriented. He no longer saw Bahamut looming over him. The room he now stood in was nothing like the womb-like ether he’d spent so much time in in silent reflection. This world was dark, cold, and smelled of low tide. Where was he? The Draconian spoke his blessings, booming voice vibrating through every fiber his groggy brain. Mentally, he tried to return to that ephemeral slumber and felt almost like he could...

 

The bark of a dog snapped him awake.

 

“Umbra?”

 

His voice felt raw as he spoke, as if it had been some time since he used it. His legs wobbled as he stood. Still strong, but a little numb. He walked outside the tomb like foyer before entering out unto the moonlit night. There he found Luna’s messenger dog, letter in hand. For the briefest of moments he expected the note to be from his childhood friend. An instant later, he remembered she was gone. With a somber sigh, he crouched down and gave the dark fur a pet before retrieving the note. The perfect and scrawling writing was unmistakably Ignis’. The paper was damp and faded, but legible.     
 

_Noctis,_

_Apologies for the quarters, but we were unsure of when you would awaken. We felt it necessary to keep you safe and away from potential dangers. The Glaives volunteered to stand guard over you and the crystal until the time of your return. Though, Gladio, Prompto, and I have found other ways to apply our skills to keep Lucis as safe as we can, I can not guarantee what manner of world you will return to._

_My only hope is that it’s soon and you find yourself in good health upon reading this letter. Reach out to us the moment you return. The Glaives have our contact information._

 

_Be waiting in Hammerhead,_

_~Ignis_

 

Umbra at his heels, Noctis made his way down the hill. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see, but he didn’t expect to see his fathers boat moored at the dock. A half-dozen exhausted Glaives keeping watch. One of them saw him approach and walked to meet him on shaky feet. Noct recognized the face, but couldn’t quite place the name of the man who spoke.

 

“Your Highness… I’m glad you’re okay.” 

 

The lot of them appeared overworked and near the brink of death. Their tattered uniforms worn and threadbare yet the boat was pristine. According to the Glave, it was still in perfect working condition. Noctis was too stunned to cry and could only choke out a quiet observation.

 

“You… did all this for me?”

 

The Glaive nodded and stepped forward, only to stumble. Noct went to catch him but Gentiana beat him to it. She supported the weary Glaive as if he weighed nothing and helped the weakened man steady his balance.

 

“All this for the King of Kings. Let not their sacrifices go in vain. He must make haste to the Seat of the Stone and ascend as its rightful heir.” 

 

 

  
  


Never quite knowing what to say to the mysterious woman, Noctis nodded with a taut jerk of his head. He stepped past her toward the boat. 

 

“Or paths will cross again,” she said.

 

Looking over his shoulder, Noct gave her a small smile.

 

“Thanks. I hope they do.”

 

He stepped over the gunwale of the boat and headed toward the helm. He paused and then swiveled quickly, turning back.  Leaning over the rail, he spoke to the crowd, finding Gentiana gone, vanished as usual.

 

“Hey,” he said to the Glaives. “Do you all plan on swimming back or are you going to get aboard too?”

 

The bewildered Glaives shared confused glances with each other. They weren't accustomed to their king being so casual with. They stayed conflicted before coming to a silent agreement. Hesitant, they stepped aboard.

 

With their leader's approval, most of them collapsed into exhausted wrecks as soon as they sat down on the deck.

 

"Think they're thankful their watch ended like this," Their leader said with a little mirth. He stood next to Noct by the helm, with a straight back, radiating all his military training. Their diligent leader remained on his feet, in spite of fatigue showing in deep pockets under his eyes.

 

“Sit, please,” Noct asked as he started the boat and tossed the mooring line ashore. The Glaive plopped down on the bench with all the weight of his stocky form.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Libertus. Ostium.” The Glaive answered with a bow of his head. "Your Majesty."

 

“You have my thanks, Libertus. Sorry you had to wait so long for me.”

 

Noctis put a hand on the Glaive’s shoulder. Pulling from the magic of the crystal as he’d done with Ignis, he healed Libertus with enough magic to restore him.

 

“Thank you, Highness.”

 

Libertus' military attitude cracked and he melted into the relief with a sigh.

 

Turning, he beckoned for the rest of the Glaives. Despite uneasiness clouding their faces, they accepted their King's healing.  

 

Noct started the boat and began the short boat ride to Galdin Quay. It was odd seeing the shoreline so dark. Though the quay was lit it lacked the golden ambiance of the restaurant and pier lights. All replaced by enormous stadium lighting flooding the area with harsh white light.

 

As he drew closer to the quay, movement caught his eye just off to the right. The bioluminescence of something enormous churned beneath the dark waters. Before the creature noticed him, he pushed the throttle. To his relief, he gained some distance from the potential threat.

 

It would do him no good to come back after so long, only to get eaten by a creature of the deep. The vessel coasted up to the dock where more surprised Glaives were waiting to greet them. He greeted them all and thanked them for their dedication, doling out healing magic as he went.   A young man approached from the parking lot. He had a scar beneath his left eye and wore a Hammerhead hat. He seemed so familiar, but Noct couldn’t quite put a finger on him. 

 

“Is that really you? Prince Noctis?”

 

“Yeah.” Noct searched for the young man’s name, coming up blank. The young man smiled. “It’s me, Talcott Hester.”

 

Noct’s eyes went wide. “Talcott?”

 

“Yeah… My grandfather used to serve the Amicitia family.” His eyes sparkled, happy Noctis remembered him. “Welcome back, your Majesty.”

 

 Noct blinked hard. Talcott was only seven years old last he’d seen him, but the man standing before him was almost _twenty_. Panic rose up into hard lump in his throat.

 

“How… how long has it been?” Noct swallowed. “How long have I been gone?”

 

Talcott folded his arms and thought about it. “It’s been about ten years, I think.”

 

Noct’s stomach dropped. “Ten years…”

 

 His mind was reeling. He was sure he’d be gone a few months, a year, maybe...but a _decade_?

 

“What about Ignis? Prompto? Gladio? Are they alive?” 

 

“They’re all alive and well. I’ll take you to them and fill you in on the way. A lot has happened since you’ve been gone.”

 

Talcott tilted his head toward the truck behind him. After radioing in Noct was back and they were on their way, Talcott went on about what they guys had been up to. Noctis was happy to find they’d mostly stuck together and were doing well despite a few incidences here and there. Noctis asked follow up questions about other places and people too. It surprised him to hear Old Cid was still alive, though not kicking as hard as he used to.

 

Throughout the whole drive Talcott talked, catching Noct up as best as he could. Noctis listened in silence and watched the lights pass them. Shadows of daemons wandered through the wasteland at the edge of the road lights. He even saw a few tonberries, venturing dangerously close to the lights.   As they approached the lit town ahead Noctis barely recognized it. Hammerhead Garage and Takka’s diner was still at the fore, but behind it…

 

“What happened here?”

 

Talcott smiled. “Oh… We’ve been busy. Once we got the roads open again it was easier to move people and supplies. Hammerhead was the only major outpost this far east. We needed to build on it to accommodate all the hunters and workers. Dino started running the brothel-”

 

“ _Brothel_?”

 

 “-two years ago, and that started pulling in some real money. The rest sort of evolved from there.”

 

 They pulled into the main gate, driving slow to avoid hitting anyone in the bustling crowd. Everyone carried about their business. The only ones that noticed their arrival were a blonde woman and old man. Noct figured them out to be Cid and Cindy. The pair approached, slow and careful to match the pace of Cid’s movements. Cindy helped her grandfather along on his walker.  Noct stepped out and walked to the mechanic. It didn't go unnoticed by him that nobody else in the crowd even gave them a passing glance. 

 

Cindy smiled at him, but it was Cid spoke first. His voice was hoarse and quieter than Noct remembered, but still as salty as ever.

 

“Reggie. You dog. It’s about damn time you visited.”

 

Noct made a face and glanced at Cindy, who made a gesture to play along.

 

“You look like you’ve been through the ringer. Tough ride?”

 

“Uh… yeah. It’s been a long road. How’s things holding up here?”

 

“Business is boomin’, though the crows is a bit ‘a pain in my ass. Kids are always coming in with smashed vehicles and weapons and I can’t fix ‘em as fast as I used to. Speaking of kids, how’s that brat of yours? Healed up alright?”

 

Thankfully, Cindy cleared her voice and interjected.

 

“Paw Paw, can’t you see he’s tired. Let em settle in before you talk his ear off. _Uncle Reggie_ ,” she winked at Noct, “Your entourage is waiting in the back room at Takka’s. I’ll show you the way. Talcott, could you take Paw Paw back to the garage for a minute?”

 

“Sure thing Miss Cindy.” Cindy took Noct by the elbow and began walking toward the dinner. “Sorry bout that. Paw Paw ain’t been to clear in the head these past years.” 

 

“I see that. Glad to see you’re doing well. Talcott says you’re still married to your work?”

 

“Oh as ever, Sugar.” She reached up and pinched his cheek. “I can see why he mistook you for Uncle Reggie. Now that you’ve finally grown some scruff you're the spittin' image of 'em.”

 

They waded through the packed diner and headed for the kitchen. Noctis couldn't remember the diner being this crowded. It was like everyone was oblivious to all the horror outside. Noctis felt a swell of pride. His friends had worked so hard for him...

 

Takka bowed his head at Noct as he passed before they went through another door to the staff lounge. Noct’s heart caught in his throat as three forms rose to greet him.  Standing before him were the three people who meant more to him than anyone in this world. They were all clad in their Crownsguard fatigues, more handsome than ever were.

 

“I’ll leave y’all to catch up,” Cindy whispered. She stepped out, the quiet click of the door following shortly behind.

 

Noctis stood there, looking at his three best friends and sworn protectors. Their faces were a mixture of emotions. Hope, joy, relief, but something listed beneath the surface that he couldn’t put his finger on. Briefly he debated saying, ‘Hey guys. Sorry it took so long,’ but then thought better of it. That’s what you say when you’re late for lunch or took too long in the shower. Not when you’ve left the world plunged in darkness for a decade and left the populous to fend for itself in a daemon riddled wasteland.

 

What _do_ you say?

 

Prompto took a step toward him, smiling in spite of his attempts to look formal and serious like the others. “Noct…”

 

Gladio halted him with a hand on his shoulder. “Just a sec.”

 

The larger man stepped forward, but still kept his distance. He’d let his hair and beard grow out over the years and he’d earned a few creases around the edges of his eyes, but he was still the Gladiolus he’d always known. Strong, fierce, and steady. But why the sudden hesitation?

 

He looked Noct over from head to toe before asking. “When we were kids and Iris went missing from the Citadel and you took the blame for her, what was she actually doing?”

 

Noct blinked. He wasn’t expecting to be questioned by his own men. “Gladio, what’s up with-”

 

“ _Answer the question_.”

 

Biting his tongue, he pushed his initial anger down. There must be a reason for all this. “She followed a cat through the Citadel garden and got lost outside.”

 

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Gladio turned to Ignis, who stepped forward. His hair had changed too. It was longer and swept back, showing the faintest strand of gray here and there. He was wearing a visor instead of his traditional glasses and for a moment Noct wondered if the last encounter with Ardyn had blinded him, (He hadn’t really the time to stick around long after healing him), but then he saw green eyes blink clearly at him from behind the glass. “What is your favorite vegetable?”

 

Well that one was obvious. He hated all vegetables. But… “Do onion rings count as a vegetable? Or Leide pepper poppers. If its fried or filled with cheese it’s not _too_ bad… Guys, seriously, what’s with the questions?”

 

Ignis crossed his arms. “Humor us. Prompto, your turn.”

 

The blond stepped forward, fidgeting with his uniform gloves. He’d managed to grow a small beard of his own over the years. His normally bright expression was there, but time and no small amount of pain had tempered the fires. Still, Prompto shot him a nervous smile that would always belong to him. “Umm… Er… What was that dumb medical comedy idea we came up with? The one with the vampire.”

 

To this, Noct couldn’t help but snort. “Seriously. I’m gone forever and the first thing you ask me about is Dr. Acula?”

 

Prompto’s expression brightened and before Noct knew it he was being squeezed tightly in a hug. “It’s him, guys.” His voice cracked as he spoke. Noct returned the hug, just now realizing how much he’d been absent of human contact during his time away. “It’s really him. Nobody would know about that stupid show idea.”

 

Prompto hadn’t even begun to let go when Gladio joined them, wrapping his broad arms around the two of them before lifting one arm to allow Ignis access too. Noct found himself smothered and it was a bit hard to breathe, but he wouldn’t move for the world.

 

Ignis’ forehead rested against Noct’s temple. He could feel the shaky breath against his ear as he spoke. “When Cindy told us you were back I…we… There was a time when we doubted you’d come back at all. I’m ashamed to admit.”

 

Noctis smiled solemnly. “Guys…I’m so sorry. I had no idea I was gone so long. It certainly didn’t feel like ten years in the crystal.”

 

Ignis gave his shoulder a squeeze before breaking up the group hug, though they all stayed within arms reach. “Time, it would seem, passes differently in the Astral Realm. Otherwise I would imagine you would be sporting much more than a faint beard.” A gloved thumb traced over Noct’s jaw as it had so many times in private. “It suits you.”

 

Prompto gave him a pat on the ass playfully. “Seriously, Dude, I knew you were an epic napper, but I think you win for the all-time record. What was it like in there? Were the Astrals there too? What about the old kings?”

 

“Easy, Chocobo,” said Gladio, putting a hand on Noct’s shoulder. “He just got back. Give him five minutes to soak things in.” His nose twitched. “And maybe some time to take a shower.”

 

Noctis frowned before pulling his shirt up to his nose and wincing. “Bleh. Yeah, I think you’re right. I could use a good scrub.”

 

Ignis nodded and began walking out the back door of the employee lounge. “Very well then. We’ll show you up to the apartment. I trust you still have a few changes of attire in the Armiger?”

 

Noctis followed along with the others. “Yeah. I hope they still fit.” They were about half way through the parking lot when he asked. “Hey, what was with all the questions when you first saw me?”

 

Gladio signed. “About that… It seems that Ardyn has the ability to cast illusions. He posed as a few of our friends a few years back to try and take Ignis and I out. It nearly worked.” There was a passing glance between Gladio and Ignis, but Noct didn’t pry. “The last person I saw him pose as, was you. We just wanted to be sure you were real.”

 

“Six, really? What else has he been doing while I’ve been gone?”

 

Ignis opened the ground level door to one of the apartment buildings and stepped aside. “I’m sure you have a great many questions from your time away and we will tell you as much as we are able. But news will spread quickly that you have returned and I’m certain if we don’t meet Ardyn in Insomnia soon, he will come to us. That wouldn’t bode well for the populous, to be sure.”

 

~X~X~X

 

I am so sorry this took so long. I’m in the middle of moving and time to type has been short.

Next chapter will take place after the fight shown in Episode Ignis, although I’m going to pepper in information from Royal Edition too.

See you all at sunrise…


End file.
